My Roof, My Rules
by Colleentj
Summary: Six months after Twilight Princess, Link and the old members of "The Resistance" are living together in Telma's Inn. Their day-to-day shenanigans often end them up in strange situations. But there is something wrong with the way Link has been acting as of late... Warnings: language, suggestive jokes, chess playing cats, umbrella sparring, and some darker themes later on.
1. Chapter 1

_It has been six months since Ganondorf was defeated, the Mirror of Twilight was broken, and Hyrule was saved. Link, the so-called chosen hero, has found comfort with a group of old friends known as The Resistance. Having taken up lodging in the upstairs boarding rooms in Telma's Bar, Link and "the group" live out their day-to-day lives in each other's company. _

_ On the outside, their lives are built off of their shenanigans—they __**are **__teenagers, after all, and Link is no exception. He, Ashei, and Shad form a mighty- yet sometimes unorthodox- trio, ready to take on the world. Rusl and Auru are commonly dragged into their lives as the overseers. And as for Telma—well, she's the "mother" of the gang._

_ Yes, on the outside, they're just a group of friends trying to get along. But on the inside, they're a collection of individuals in pursuit of their own dreams, with underlying secrets and conflicts, and a range of emotions that may or may not have to do with their young age._

_They may have travelled from one end of the world to the other, but—as far as their knowledge of society goes—they still have a lot to learn…_

…

Link cast himself upon the carpeted floor of Telma's bar.

"What's the matter, Link?" asked Telma from behind the counter. "Do you need something? It's after closing time."

Link glanced up, and Telma could see a green-gray face beneath the hat. Link looked at her for a moment, and then buried his face back into the crook of his arm.

Ashei followed Link in through the door of the bar and stared at him.

"Good grief," she said.

"What? What happened now?"

Auru and Shad looked up from their game of chess on the other side of the room.

Ashei rolled her eyes. "Link got _rejected_."

"By Zelda?" said Telma.

"By her, yeah," Ashei answered. "Link was _going_ to ask her to go the café with him, but he asked her to marry him instead."

"It kind of… slipped out," Link muttered from his arm.

"And Zelda said that she couldn't."

"Damn chastity," Link said.

"Aw, I'm sorry, honey," simpered Telma.

"I thought you loved _me_," accused Shad, narrowing his eyes.

"Link, get off the floor," said Auru.

"I'll never get up. I'll _die _here!"

Ashei kicked him.

"Come on. _Up_."

"_No_."

"He's never like this," said Auru.

"I kind of like it," Shad answered. "Checkmate."

Auru snarled.

"Where's Rusl?" Ashei asked Auru.

"There's a good question," he answered. "Ordon, maybe?"

"Yeah, he's in Ordon," said Link. "With the family."

"_Get. Up._" Ashei was not pleased.

"NOOO!"

"YES!"

"NOOOOOO!"

"GET OFF OF THAT FLOOR, DAMMIT, BEFORE I PULL YOU OFF OF IT!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ashei grabbed Link by the arm and tried to pull him up.

"Stop, stop, my shoulder's coming off!"

Ashei pulled Link to his feet. Overcome by dizziness, he leaned on Ashei for support.

"That's progress," said Shad. He turned to Auru. "Another round?"

"No thanks, mate, I'm off to get some shuteye."

"But the sun hasn't even _set_," Ashei said.

Auru shook his head. "These bones are old. See you all tomorrow."

"All right then. 'Night."

"'Night."

"Goodnight, bones," said Shad.

When Auru had left, Shad turned to Ashei.

"Care for a game of chess?"

"Over my dead body," she said, and turned to Link, who still looked incredibly sick.

"I think I'm going to pass out," he said.

"Calm down, yeah?"

Link groaned.

"You know what, honey?" said Telma to Link. "Why don't you marry that Ilia? She's a sweet girl."

Link shrugged.

"You know what? I'll send Rusl a letter, ask him to bring Ilia up with him when he comes back. How's that sound?"

Ashei began to shake her head rapidly.

"That's what I'll do. You can marry her."

"No, no, no!" said Ashei, getting to her feet.

"Why not?" asked Telma.

"Because she's… she's…"

"There's nothing wrong with her," said Link defensively.

"And she'll sure give Zelda a run for her money," Telma added, giggling.

Ashei bit her lip.

"_Please_."

"I'll go write the letter right now!"

Telma bounded away and disappeared.

"And then there were three," said Shad from the other side of the room. "Link, a game of chess? The board awaits."

"No thanks, Shad," he said, sitting down in a different chair. "You know, I'm feeling slightly better."

Ashei rolled her eyes. "You're pathetic, Link. _Pathetic_."

"Why don't you want Ilia here?" asked Link. "She's nice. And funny."

"And kind of pretty," admitted Shad.

"I just don't think she'd fit in, that's all," said Ashei. She turned her back to the boys and leaned forward against the bar.

"In what way is she an outsider?" asked Shad.

"I don't know, she's… small. Inexperienced," answered Ashei. She turned around. "I mean, she's been living in the Ordonian highlands all her life. To just bring her to the city all of a sudden… it's rude, don't you think? And she wouldn't want to stay here. She doesn't wear _shoes_, for Din's sake. And it's not like she's ever held a sword in her life."

"I've never held a sword in my life," Shad piped up. "Well, there was that one time, but it flew out of my hand and sliced the tip of Auru's ear off."

"You're lucky you didn't slice off his head," mumbled Ashei.

"You know, Ashei, you're the pathetic one," said Link, unhappy to hear Ashei criticizing his oldest friend. "Just because Ilia can't decipher ancient runes or beat up monsters or tame a wild animal—which, I'll admit, is _very _cool—doesn't mean she's not worthy. Sure, she's nothing like you, but maybe that's a good thing."

Ashei looked infuriated. "I'm just thinking in her best interest!"

"No you're not!" Link said. "You think you're on top of the world, but guess what! You're not in the mountains anymore! You're not trying to prove yourself to your father anymore, you're not living among yeti anymore, and you're not trying to figure out who your mother is—"

"Everybody, I'm leaving!" announced Shad very loudly. "Just letting you know!" With this statement, he scurried off to his boarding room upstairs.

Ashei and Link stared at each other for a few seconds. Finally, Ashei sighed.

"You know what? I'm sorry. Forgive me," she said slowly, and trudged after Shad. Link sat in silence for a few seconds, nearly jumping out of his skin when Telma's cat gave a loud _meow_.

Link caught the eye of the cat, who was staring at him intently.

"What do _you _want?" he asked. With a great deal of inherent feline grace, the cat leapt up onto the table with the chess board and nudged a pawn with her paw. She meowed again.

"You're kidding," Link sighed, but— knowing that Louise was no dummy—pulled his chair up to the board.

"Okay," he said, eyeing the cat. "Your move."

…

Shad awoke early the next morning.

"Shut up, Link," he ordered, because it was Link who had awoken him. Link and Ashei were having their routine morning argument, which was usually—and inconveniently—scheduled before six o' clock in the morning. Ashei's shouts came from the other side of the wall, as she roomed next door.

"...So next time, watch where you leave it, yeah?"

"Ashei, go back to bed!" Link demanded through the wall. "I don't know _why _that umbrella ended up where it did, but I swear to Nayru I wasn't behind any of it!"

"Yeah, well you don't want to know where this umbrella's gonna end up next! Up your—"

Shad pulled a pillow over his head just in time for a very profane sentence to escape Ashei. Link's answer was muffled by the pillow, and Shad tried desperately to fall back to sleep.

However, it was to no avail. A few seconds later, Ashei marched in, tore the pillow from Shad's grasp, and started to attack Link with it ferociously. Link threw his arms up in surrender. With a sigh, Ashei's attacks ceased.

"What's the problem now?" Shad asked with a yawn. He reached blindly for his glasses.

"Link left his stupid umbrella in my room a few weeks ago and a colony of _mice _started living in it!"

"What the _hell _was your umbrella doing in Ashei's room?" Shad asked.

"We were sparring," Link explained.

"With an _umbrella_?"

"It's a long story," he continued. "Anyway, I must have forgotten to take it back, because it somehow got left in Ashei's bathtub."

"Her bathtub."

"The worst part," Ashei grunted, "is that he knew it was in there the whole time and never took it out."

"Ashei, I have no _idea _how that umbrella found its way into your bathtub. Furthermore, I wasn't about to march into your room and invade your privacy."

"Oh-ho-ho, what a gentleman. Hold still so I can kill you, yeah?"

"TELMA!" Shad shouted suddenly. There were a few seconds of silence, and then a door slammed down the hall. Telma appeared in a bathrobe.

"What in Din's name? What's going on?"

"Ashei threatened to kill Link again."

Telma eyed Ashei sternly. "Honey, I thought we'd agreed not make any more death threats."

"Yeah, yeah."

"You two have been fighting over _everything_," Telma said suddenly. "I just don't get it. A few weeks ago, you were best friends. Now everything has to turn into an argument." As an afterthought, she added, "You're just like Renado and I when we were young."

"I'm going to stop you right there," Ashei declared, obviously not wanting to hear about anything that might have to do with Telma and Renado's past escapades.

"What you two need is a day out in town. Just the two of you. Stuck with each other. That'll teach you to sort out your differences." Telma turned now to Link. "While you're out there, you can bring the letter I wrote to Rusl to the post office."

"Castle Town doesn't have a post office," Shad pointed out.

"Oh, I know that," Telma said. "There's a street corner not far from Dr. Borville's office where that strange postman lurks sometimes. He'll be happy to take your letter."

Link gave Ashei a hopeful smile. She returned it with a harsh glare.

"All right. We'll do it," Link said. "And don't worry, Telma." He flashed a corny smile. "I'll have the girl back by curfew."

He received a pillow to the head.

…

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Ashei muttered. It was around noontime, now, and Link and Ashei were at the café in the town square, waiting in line to order.

"Oh, hush. I'm paying."

"Yeah, well, you'd better bet. We still have to find that crackpot postman and deliver your stupid letter."

"_Telma's _stupid letter," Link informed her. They moved a little closer to the counter as the customers in front of them stepped up to order.

"Besides," said Link lightheartedly, "I've talked to that postman before. He's only a little bit of a crackpot."

"Whatever you say, Hylian." Silence.

Link felt an urge to bring up Ilia again. He wanted to know exactly _why _Ashei didn't want her around—they had only met once or twice, when Ilia had lost her memory and had been staying in Castle Town with Telma—and it seemed strange that Ashei could hold a grudge against somebody they hardly knew.

Ilia must have done something, Link decided, that had upset Ashei.

In fact, Ilia might have done something that she didn't know would annoy Ashei. Pretty much anything could set Ashei off if directed properly. Perhaps she had twirled her hair too much—that annoyed Ashei—or had giggled a lot—that _really _annoyed Ashei. Or maybe Ilia had committed a cardinal sin in Ashei's book, and had asked her why she was frowning. People always asked Ashei why she was frowning, because she frowned a lot around people she didn't know. Ashei was known to have become violent when asked "why the long face?" too many times in a row.

"Next!" the lady behind the counter called. Link and Ashei stepped up.

"I'll have the fried cucco sandwich," Link decided. The shop owner smiled. Then she turned to Ashei.

"And for you, dearie?"

"What's the largest thing on your menu?"

…

Once they had taken their seats at a table—and Ashei had taken a large bite out of her Ordonian goat thigh—Link brought up the topic of delivering the letter.

"Telma said we could find the postman on the western thoroughfare, near Dr. Borville's office—"

"The doc's office is on the eastern thoroughfare," Ashei countered. "I swear it is."

"What? No it's not. Have you even been there before?"

"Well, no, but I just know it is."

"Well, I have been there. Several times."

Now Ashei was getting upset. "It's on the eastern thoroughfare!" she insisted. "I've read it a thousand times! Look—I'll show you!" With that, Ashei retrieved her map of Castle Town from her pocket and spread it out on the table. Her eyes scanned the key for the label for the doctor's office, and when she found it, she jabbed her index finger on it.

"Look! There! '_Doctor L. Borville_, _Physician,' _right here on the western thoroughfare! Wait… western thoroughfare? Damn it!"

Ashei tucked the map away haughtily.

"Am I allowed to—"

"Shut up, you," Ashei ordered. She ate the rest of her lunch in a bitter silence.

…

"Is that the postman?" Link asked dully. Ashei didn't answer. She was still upset over what had happened at lunch, and it was obvious that she didn't want the letter delivered. She trudged after Link dryly, not too keen on involving herself in the upcoming situation.

The skinny figure of the postman was crouched in between two crates, nearly hidden from view. His one perceptible feature was his outrageous red hat, which would make him stand out in any crowd.

Link approached him and cleared his throat. "Um, Mr. Postman?"

The man leapt up in surprise, several letters flying in different directions.

"Oh! Oh, my, excuse me, Mr. Link!" he scrambled to recover the lost documents, shoving them into his satchel in a disorderly fashion. He turned back to Link.

"Can I help you with something?"

"I—I need you to deliver this letter to Mr. Rusl of Ordon Village. You can probably find him somewhere in the southern Faron region or the Ordonian highlands."

"Ah, yes, of course! If you'll just give that to me—um—excuse me—Mr. Link—"

The postman was having trouble taking the letter from Link. Although the old hero had presented the letter before the mailman, his grip on it refused to loosen as he glanced behind his shoulder.

Ashei had disappeared and was walking in the other direction, shaking her head. Link watched her go with a feeling of guilt in his stomach. He reevaluated the situation.

Did he really want Ilia here?

Yes, he did. Ilia was a great friend. He _loved _Ilia. Telma's suggestion of bringing her to the city was something that had crossed Link's mind many times, although he'd never acted on it. Yes, he wanted Ilia here.

But did he want Ilia here if it meant hurting another great friend, Ashei? He loved Ilia, but Ashei was important to Link as well. He valued his friendship with Ashei, and wasn't quite ready to lose that friendship.

"Mr. Link—if you'll just give me the letter—"

Link retracted his hand and tucked the letter away. "Forget it," he said. "I've changed my mind."

_Ilia doesn't need to come here. As much as I want to see her, I don't want to break the already delicate bond between Ashei and I. That's the most important thing right now._

…

It was evening by the time Link returned to Telma's bar. Ever since Hyrule had been restored, Telma's had become increasingly popular. Link had to wade through the rowdy customers to find Ashei and Auru, who were sitting at the bar together.

"'Ello, Link!" Auru greeted. He grinned. "Want something to drink?"

"Nah," Link answered. He glanced at Ashei.

"Did that postman take your stupid letter?" she asked, refusing to catch his eye and staring instead at a spot just above Link's head.

"Telma's stupid letter," he reminded her yet again. "And no. I brought it back here. It's with Telma."

Now Ashei did catch Link's eye, completely befuddled. "What? Why?"

"Well," answered Link simply. "I didn't want to trouble you with it. I realized it was bothering you, and I figured I can hold out on it a little longer, if that's what it takes."

"But—but I thought you really wanted to see Ilia."

"I did. I _do_. But…" he took her hand weakly. "I don't want just another reason to fight with you."

And with this statement, Link retired to his room upstairs. Ashei watched him go with a curious gleam in her eye.

…_He gave that up… for __**me**__?_

…

Link awoke the next morning as Shad entered the room. It was still very early—what was Shad doing up and dressed already?

"Where've you been?" asked Link as Shad shut the door quietly behind him.

"Out in town," Shad answered. "I've been with Ashei."

"Doing what?" asked Link.

"Delivering something. 'Telma's stupid letter,' I believe it was called."

Link's eyes widened and he strained to sit up. "Why on earth were you delivering that?"

"_I _wasn't. Ashei was. She made me go with her because she needed somebody to force her to do it. Well? Don't look so disorientated. She was doing it for you."

But Link couldn't help being confused. It was all so absurd.

"But Ashei hates Ilia…"

"Yeah, but she really likes you. Link," Shad said, and he appeared quite bemused, "you and I both know that Ashei doesn't want Ilia here. But _you _do, and I think… I think Ashei's trying to fix things. I know you two have had a rough couple of weeks, what with all the bickering and the… screaming… and the umbrella sparring."

"How curious," was Link's only response. Then, he laughed. "She and I try so hard to be good to one another, but it'll just be something else tomorrow. I don't think Ashei and I will ever get on well for more than a few days at a time."

"Yeah, but you can try."

Link just sighed. "Well, then, I've got a lot of work ahead of me." He got to his feet and went to enter the restroom. He stopped just as his hand was resting on the doorknob.

"Say, Shad?"

"Hm?" the scholar answered.

"Ilia… when she was here a few months ago, did she ever do anything to particularly annoy Ashei?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Shad answered simply. "They were quite pleasant to one another."

And that was the most curious thing of all.

**Maybe I will continue? Review and tell me what you thought!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone for all of your encouragement! Here is chapter two.**

"And so then Louise took her paw, moved the knight into position, and meowed twice. It was like saying _checkmate _in Siamese or something."

"Link, the fact that you lost chess to a cat is bizarre and disturbing," Shad proclaimed. "Furthermore, Louise is not a Siamese cat. She is a Persian cat." With this, Shad returned to his book, which he had been reading for the majority of the morning. He sat at the empty bar with Link, who couldn't seem to stop talking.

"My apologies."

Somebody entered through the front door and slammed it shut behind them, rattling the bottles on the shelves.

"That man's more trouble than he's worth!" yelled the new arrival—Telma.

"Do tell," Shad deadpanned, turning a page in his book.

"That old Renado sent me a letter!" she complained, not stopping in her march across the room. "He was wondering whether I'd be interested in _visiting! _That damned _tease!" _And with this, Telma strode upstairs, kicking over a chair on her way. Another door slammed somewhere on the second story.

"She's out of control," Shad said in a monotone, turning another page.

"What does Renado want with Telma?" Link wondered aloud. "I swear that's the third time he's written to her this month."

"I don't need a reason to think about that," Shad answered. "Let's leave Telma's business to Telma."

"Well said. What's this book about, anyway?" And with this, Link swiped Shad's book away. The scholar looked rather stricken.

"Hey! Give that back!"

Link hopped out of his seat and held the book out of Shad's reach, flipping through the pages as he did so.

"Ahh—I see—it's about the _Oacca_." And with that, Link tossed the book back at Shad. His toss was poorly aimed, however, and it smacked Shad in the face. Both the scholar and the book went tumbling off of the barstool and landed on the floor.

"Whoops. Sorry, Shad." With a laugh, Link helped Shad to his feet.

"You're a piece of work," Shad mumbled.

"Have I ever told you about the time I visited the Oacca?"  
"I know that you've certainly _bragged _about it," Shad answered.

"You know, if you ever want to visit the Oocca, I can take you," Link offered.

"Well, I'll have to practice speaking the sky language, if that's the case. And of course, there's always the issue of Oacca currency. Not to mention the topic of culture—"

"For what it's worth," Link cut in, "I appeared out of nowhere, broke all of their pots, robbed them of their ancient treasures, grabbed the Oacca by the legs and used them as a _means of transport _across various chasms… and they _still _worshipped me as a hero in the end. They're an easy-going culture. Etiquette won't be an issue here."

Shad adjusted his glasses and returned to his page. "Yes, well, we wouldn't want to have a complete lack of manners, would we?"

"Guess not," Link sighed. "Say, speaking of completely lacking manners, have you seen Ashei this morning?"

"Not since she and I delivered that letter. I think she's been up in her room all morning."

"I should talk to her," Link muttered, rubbing his chin. With a decisive nod, he hopped off of the bar stool and began the trek up to Ashei's room.

The upstairs boarding rooms had been built in the past six months. Ever since Hyrule had been saved, Castle Town had become something of a tourist attraction. Telma's Bar had been remodeled into Telma's Inn, and an upstairs had been put in place. The second floor consisted of ten brand new boarding rooms to accommodate travelers. Room number two was shared by Link and Shad. Room four, which was directly next door, belonged to Ashei. Room ten, which was situated on the end, belonged to Auru, who hoped only to stay as far away from the three troublemaking teens as possible.

Telma was in room one, which was set away from the other nine rooms. It was a bit bigger than the other rooms and was always locked. Link and Ashei had had plans to sneak in for awhile now, although they had yet to act on these plans.

When Link approached Ashei's door, he knocked lightly.

"Come in."

He entered slowly. It was around noon, so the room was fairly bright. Ashei was sitting cross-legged on the floor, polishing a series of knives.

She glanced up. "Oh. It's you."

"I really appreciate what you did this morning," Link said, straight and to the point. He took a seat on the bed behind Ashei.

"Do you?" She finished polishing one knife and set it to the side, beginning to polish another.

"I do."

"Shad told you, yeah?"

"He did."

"That little devil. I told him to keep quiet."

"Why?"

"Because it's not his story to tell. He's a gossip, that Shad." She set her polishing cloth aside and scraped at something on the blade with her nail.

"Why are you polishing knives?"

"So that they'll be cleaner."

Link nodded. "Very well, though that's not what I meant."

Ashei muttered something unintelligible.

"What was that?" Link asked.

"Nothing."

_Cue the awkward silence_, thought Link. He glanced around Ashei's small room. She decorated quite modestly. Both the walls and the floor were constructed from the same dark wooden panels—this was the case for all of the rooms. There were two tiny windows overlooking the streets below. The furniture consisted of one cot, a nightstand, a dresser, and a writing desk. Over in the corner was the door leading to the adjacent bathroom.

This was the case for all of the rooms, with the exception of Link's and Shad's, which had double the furniture. Ashei had many different weapons hanging on various hooks around the room. She had a fur pelt slung over the bed that she used as a blanket at night. And the most interesting feature—and Link's favorite—was a block of wood with two enormous antlers protruding from it. This she hung on the wall. She took great pride in those antlers.

When about five or six uncomfortable seconds had passed, Link decided to speak up.

"Telma's been getting weird letters from Renado," he said casually. Ashei froze in mid-polish and then turned around.

"What?"

"Telma. You know how she's been getting all sorts of letters in the mail? Well, she got another one this morning. It was from Renado. I'm led to believe that they've _all _been from Renado."

Ashei's brow furrowed. "That's… _odd_. Renado's that old shaman, right? From Kakariko? I thought he didn't want anything to _do_ with Telma."

"Well, it doesn't sound that way to me."

"Maybe we should ask her what's going on…"

"Shad said we should leave the topic alone," Link said. "She deserves her privacy."

"Hah. Nope, we're finding those letters, and we're reading them."

"What? So we're just going to… just going to _ransack _her _room_? Go through Telma's _stuff_?"

"You betcha."

"But… but _ew! _There's _Telma _stuff in that room. Telma _girl _stuff." Link shuddered. "Ashei, what if she has, like, underwear in there? What if we walk in and Telma's got her pantyhose just slung all over the place?"

"Oh, please. You say it like Telma has the decency to even _own _a pair of pantyhose. Besides," Ashei added as an afterthought, "_I _have underwear in this room. I mean, not slung all over the place, but it's still in here. And I'm a girl."

"Yes, but you—well, you look—at least you're—"

"I'm _what?_"

"Never mind."

_Attractive_, Link had wanted to say, but had stopped himself before he could get punched.

"Anyway," he resumed, trying to regain his bearings, "I don't like the idea of going through Telma's room. It's a complete invasion of her privacy, and she's been so good to us. She doesn't deserve that. She should be able to trust us."

Ashei crossed her arms. "Listen, I'm a knight, even if I'm a self-declared knight. Which makes me a law-enforcer. Which _means _that I'm allowed to go through my friend's stuff if it's for her own good, yeah?"

"But I _know _Renado," Link persisted. "I _know _him. He's a good guy. I would trust him with my _life_. Unless we have a really good reason to believe that Telma's actually in some type of danger—which I doubt one-hundred percent—then we have to give him the benefit of the doubt. What you're suggesting… well, it's foolhardy."

Ashei was getting worked up again. "_Foolhardy? _Well, if that's how it is, then fine!"

"Ashei, that's not what I mean!"

"Then tell me what you mean!"

"I just think you're jumping to conclusions! You're not really thinking things through! It's like you're not taking it seriously or something!"

Ashei stabbed the knife she had been polishing into the floorboards and stood up. "Link of Ordon, I might have my faults, but don't you think for _one second _that I don't take the safety of my friends seriously!" And with that, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

The door swung open several seconds later and she marched back in, grabbing Link by the collar.

"This is _my _room," she grumbled, and she pushed Link into the hall, slamming the door in his face.

"But we were just starting to get along!" Link wailed into the wood, before sighing heavily and shaking his head.

A loud _meow _sounded at his feet. He glanced down to see Louise eyeing him sternly.

"I still haven't forgiven you for that chess game," he said with a snarl.

…

When Link returned downstairs, Shad was having a fierce debate with the postman.

"For the last time," cried Shad in exasperation, "the insignia on your hat does not resemble a giant chinchilla! It is representative of a Belgian hare! Now good _day_, Sir!" And with this, Shad returned to the bar. The postman looked rather taken aback. When he caught sight of Link, he grinned.

"Ah! Mr. Link! A delivery for you! It is from Mr. Rusl of Ordon Village, in response to the letter that was delivered this morning!"

"Already?" answered Link. "I'm impressed. That was quite… _quick_." He ripped the parcel open excitedly and read Rusl's message.

"Well?" said Shad once the postman had left. "What does it say?"

"Rusl says Ilia would be happy to join him on his next trip to Castle Town. He says they'll come by in a week or so. He also wants me to let Telma know that… _Oh, Goddesses_." He crumpled the letter up quickly and stuffed it into his pocket.

"What? What was it?"

"All I'll say," Link uttered, "is that I do _not _need to know exactly what Telma wrote in her letter to Rusl."

Shad shrugged. "Fair enough." And he returned to his book. Link rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to burn that book," he declared. Shad looked offended.

"What? Why?" He clutched the book to his chest defensively.

"Because I need a crowbar just to _pry _you from it. Listen, I'm bored. There's no one else to talk to."

"Sure there is."

"No. Ashei's mad at me, Telma's hiding in her room, and Auru… where the hell is Auru?"

"Auru's out in town," Shad said, turning a page and pushing his glasses higher up onto his nose. "Go bother him."

Link accepted this like it was a challenge, and in only a few minutes he had gotten his hat and his wallet from his room and had set off for town.

When Link walked through Castle Town, he turned a lot of heads. For one thing, Zant's invasion had prompted a dark period in Hyrule's history that the locals called the "dark days." The wound was still fresh, making Link's deeds quite famous. He was, to say the least, fairly well known.

Furthermore, Link kept up the heroic image very easily. Energetic and effortlessly handsome, Link was quite popular with the younger women. Even if a girl _didn't _recognize him as the hero, she was still bound to stare.

And lastly, Link wore the same green tunic that he had worn during his journey through Hyrule. The trademark hat was the most famous thing about him.

So, all in all, a visit through town was less of a leisurely activity and more of an adventure. (In his own defense, he didn't get a lot of adventures nowadays, so the Castle Town escapades were almost kind of fun.)

When Link broke out onto the southern thoroughfare, several people surrounding him started to clap. One thanked him for his deeds. He just nodded and tried to be humble. As much pride as he took in his adventures, he didn't like thinking about them _too _often. Then he would start thinking of Midna, which upset him, and Zant, which terrified him, and lastly he would think of Ganondorf and all of that blood, blood everywhere….

He shook his head free of the thoughts and continued walking down the street, merging into a crowd of people flooding towards the central square. Tourists with pictoboxes were taking snapshots of everything they saw, even the insignificant things that Link had seen a million times.

The central square came into view. Hyrule Castle was up ahead, looking as brilliant as ever. And not too far away, caught in a conversation with two Hyrulean soldiers, was Auru. Link approached him merrily.

"Hello, Auru!" he greeted cheerily, giving the old man a friendly whack on the back. Auru cried aloud.

"Master Link, how good to see you…" he lied grimly. He was obviously not in the mood for Link's antics.

"And you, my friend," Link answered.

"You're… energetic," Auru grumbled.

"Yeah, well, nobody back at Telma's wanted me around."

"I can't imagine why."

Link was slightly hurt by this but wasn't deterred from conversation at all. He had always been a relatively quiet person until Ashei smashed his comfort zone to pieces. Now he was quite the social butterfly.

"Excuse me, Mr. Auru? We have duties to attend to, and if our conversation is done here…"

Auru glanced back at the soldiers. "What? Oh, yes… You're free to go."

The soldiers bowed quickly and retreated.

"Why do they bow to you?" Link asked.

"Because I'm considered part of the Royal Family," Auru answered simply. "Zelda is my second cousin. I tutored her as a child."

"Are you the one who convinced her to live a life of solitude?"

"I may have had something to do with it. I taught her about many political tactics. She happened to like that one. I think it had something to do in part with the dark days. I think part of her choice has to do with the fear of sharing power."

"Good," said Link. "Because if you can talk her into it, then you can talk her out of it. Put in a good word for me next time you see her, why don't you?"

"Master Link, I'm afraid that would be highly inappropriate."

"Hey, a man's got to do what a man's got to do." And with that, Link started to ramble. Auru stopped paying attention completely, and only tuned back in when something interesting caught his ear.

"Wait, what was that?"

"Telma's been getting letters. Weird letters. From Renado. They're confusing everybody."

"Why did nobody tell me this?" Auru asked.

"Well, it wasn't interesting until today. Why?"

Auru looked suddenly alarmed. "Because I know what it means. And it's not good."

**I extend my thanks to the website Rabbit Empire, which helped me to distinguish between the giant chinchilla and the Belgian hare. Where would I be without you?**

**I have a lot of ideas for future chapters. I know this one was slower and kind of lacked a punch line, but do not fear! I will make up for that soon enough. **

…**Or at least I'll try.**

_Review? :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for being patient with this next update! Here is Chapter 3 of MRMR.**

The bar was as crowded as ever that evening.

Shad appeared downstairs around nine o' clock PM. He struggled to squeeze through the dense crowd that had accumulated there, who were currently in the middle of a lively drinking song. He had left his book on the other side of the bar and the last thing that he wanted was for it to be soiled by a drunken man.

The crowd had a terrible odor, which combined sweat, ale, and tobacco. Shad couldn't take it—he had to get out of here as soon as possible.

He spotted the field journal that he'd been studying from all morning and snatched it up instantly, cradling it to his chest in a possessive manner. Now, to tackle the matter of getting back upstairs in one piece…

The door opened behind him and Link appeared by himself. He caught Shad's eye and was at his side in seconds.

"Where have _you _been?" asked Shad.

Link gulped. "Talking with Auru."

"Ah, so you found the devil… you look shaken. Something eating at you?"

"…Sort of..." Link glanced around the room as if nervous. Shad's eyebrow's jammed together.

"Well? What is it?"

Link looked back at Shad. "It's nothing… can't talk about it here… why don't we leave this lot to themselves and—"

"Is it something Auru said?" Shad now questioned. "Did he tell you something and _that's _why you're acting all freaky?"

"What—_freaky?"_

Shad shrugged.

"Listen," Link sighed, "it's like I said. I _can't _talk about it here." He gave Shad a weak pat on the shoulder. "I'm off to get a drink." And with that, he sauntered off.

Shad watched him curiously. "Now that's as peculiar as anything."

…

"I don't spend anybody's damn money but my own!" came Ashei's voice from the other side of the bedroom wall. Shad exhaled audibly. Not _again._

"Oh, _sure! _Tell me, who else would take thirty rupees from my wallet without me noticing?" Link accused, his face pressed right up against the wall. Ashei gave a muffled groan.

"_You_," Ashei shot back, "when you're _drunk!"_

Although Ashei was on the other side of the bedroom wall, Shad could very clearly envision steam erupting from her ears. With a sigh, he slid out of bed and pulled on his housecoat.

"I see you two are back to normal," he proclaimed, pulling his glasses on and bringing things into focus. His slippers were on the other side of the room.

Link rolled his eyes. "I don't need _your _sarcasm, too, okay?" he mumbled. He followed this up with a loud cry of, "I wasn't _that _drunk! I was sober enough to know that _you _took my money!"

There was no immediate answer.

Shad yawned. "Three… two… one…"

The door burst open and Ashei marched in.

"You'd better restrain me, Shad, or I'll kill him!"

"TELMA!"

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Telma's tall form came to a halt at the door in her nightgown and slippers.

"What is it this time?"

"Ashei used the K word," Shad recited dully, pushing past Telma and making his way toward the bar. "Do we have any coffee? I'm tired like the dickens…"

When he appeared downstairs, he found a half opened letter left on the bar. It was addressed to Telma, and had been left by… Renado? _Again?_

He glanced over his shoulder. Nobody was around. As quietly as he could, he retrieved the note from its envelope and read it over.

"_Telma  
Telma's Bar  
Southern Thoroughfare  
Castle Town, Lanayru Province_

_Salutations, Miss Telma:_

_I am writing this message concerning the conversation we had when you visited Kakariko a little over six months ago. I know that you have received my other letters—Hyrule's postman told me so—and I am still awaiting your answer. _

_I am sure that you remember that conversation of ours as well as I do. Please write back quickly with your response; we are running out of time._

_-Renado  
Sanctuary  
Main Road  
Kakariko Village, Eldin province"_

Shad had to read Renado's message several times before deciding that, yes, he was thoroughly befuddled.

He'd had no initial desire to muddle in Telma's business, but it was becoming more apparent that maybe something would have to be done after all. It seemed that something important was at stake here—something that Renado had foreseen, and it affected the both of them.

How had Telma brushed this off so easily? What had she said yesterday? That Renado had written, asking her to _visit?_

Something fishy was definitely going on, and Telma no doubt wanted to keep it secret.

Somebody's heavy footsteps started descending down the staircase. He started to panic, shoving the letter back into the envelope haphazardly and slapping it back onto the bar where he had found it.

"Honey," Telma said sternly, appearing behind Shad. The scholar froze.

"Y-yes?" he asked, turning around and looking Telma in the face.

Her expression suddenly softened. "Coffee's on the counter. Help yourself."

She snatched up the letter quickly after that, and Shad noticed one last thing on the envelope before Telma hid it in her pocket.

The upper right-hand corner of the envelope had been marked with a blue arrow, a symbol that was the indicator for two words: _urgent delivery._

…

When Shad returned upstairs, Link and Ashei's shouting had subsided. Figuring that one of them had probably killed the other, he entered his room.

What he found surprised him.

Link and Ashei were sitting next to each other on Link's bed, leaning up against the headboard. Link was speaking to her in a low voice.

"…just afraid to feel, sometimes, you know?" he was saying. "It's like you have to board up your heart, because every time you turn around someone's gone again—" he stopped, noticing that Shad had entered the room.

"Don't mind me," Shad said. "I was just getting ready to plan a funeral. But seeing that neither of you have killed each other, carry on."

"No," Ashei said suddenly. "I should go." She slid off of the bed and made a line for the door. "Sorry I threatened to kill you," she said to Link.

Link shrugged. "No big deal," he answered. "Not the first time."

Ashei shut the door quietly, and Shad just looked at Link with an expression akin to somebody who'd been slapped.

"What?" asked the hero, seemingly puzzled.

"Nothing. I was downstairs for _five minutes_, and in those five minutes you went from arguing to bonding. That's a hell of a transition, Link."

"We weren't bonding," Link said. "You wouldn't understand."

Link said that a lot. It was like a tagline. _'You wouldn't understand.' _He usually said it after somebody mentioned the dark days as a way of changing the subject or taking the focus off of himself. The only person that he never really said it to was Ashei, and sometimes Shad wondered whether that was what kept them so close despite their differences—a mutual understanding of what it meant to fight, and—furthermore—the conception of what it meant to lose something.

Shad squirmed nervously. "So," he said, "uh, a few nights ago... you said there was something you couldn't talk about there… can you talk about it here?"

Link glanced up. "Shad. I'm tired and hung over. Now is a bad time."

"But you were talking to Ashei!"

"That's different," Link said, leaning back against the headboard. "Ashei's hung over, too."

Shad sighed. "Does Ashei know about Telma's letters?" he asked, knowing that this would get to Link. Link sat up too quickly, having heard this, and grabbed his head in pain.

"Yes," he grunted, screwing his eyes shut. "She knows." He waited for a few moments for the pain to go away, and then leaned back again. "But I thought you wanted to leave Telma's business to Telma."

"I did, but… I'm starting to think something's wrong. Like, really wrong, not just stupid wrong."

"Oh?"

Shad scrutinized Link for a second. The strange expression, the closed eyes, the tense shoulders…

"You know something," Shad accused suddenly. His face lit up. "You _know _something about this, Link of Ordon, and you're not saying anything!"

Link's eyes opened. "You have me there."

Shad jumped up. "What? What is it?"

"Auru told me. About the letters… about what they mean."

Now the scholar's face lit up. "What? What is it? _Tell me!"_

Link exhaled and shook his head, shutting his eyes again. Shad grew suddenly angry.

"What's _that _face for? Now you're keeping secrets?"

"The matter is private," Link said. "When Auru told me, he was all, _mum's the word, Link!" _

Something akin to anger started to boil in the pit of the scholar's stomach.

"But you _know! _Does Ashei know?"

"Nope. Just me, Auru, and Telma."

"And it's some big secret, right? Between the three of you?"

Link was starting to look annoyed. His eyes opened again. "Telma doesn't know I know, and neither should you!" he turned to face Shad. "Listen, it's like you said, it's _Telma's business_. We're not a part of it. We're staying out of it all. Now _please_, _drop the topic_. It's… uncomfortable." He settled back into his position, closing his eyes again. Shad tried to speak, but Link cut him off immediately.

After that, Shad fell silent.

That is, until an idea popped into his head.

He dressed quickly, having been the last one still in a nightgown. Then he left the room and ventured next door, barging into Ashei's room without bothering to knock.

Ashei looked irritated when he entered. "_What?" _she asked, shutting a small box and setting it aside.

"You know about Telma's letters, right?"

Ashei looked irritated. "Of course I know."

"Link knows what they mean."

Ashei's eyes narrowed. "What? Why should I care?" But it was apparent that she actually cared very much.

"You _want _to know. I can tell."

The girl stood up and paced toward Shad. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Hey," said Shad, lifting his hands up in surrender, "if you would rather _not _hear my proposition, then that's fine by me. I guess we'll _never _know what Telma's up to after all…" he began to pace away.

Ashei had a fraction of a second to make a decision.

"Fine, then. Let's hear it."

Shad smiled to himself and turned back around. "Telma keeps taking those letters into her room when she's through with them. I say we search her room, if we want to know what's going on. I know it sounds like snooping, but really… it's for Telma's own well being."

Ashei's eyes widened. "That's what _I _told _Link!"_

Shad grinned. "I take it you are accepting my offer."

The girl only smiled back.

And it was a devilish smile indeed.

…

"Shad! Get down here, honey!"

It was late afternoon at this point. Shad shuffled down the staircase with Ashei in tow.

"I'm going out to town," Telma announced, who had been waiting at the bar after summoning Shad. "Auru is out, too, so you're the only one who'll be able to manage this place."

Link mumbled something from the other side of the bar. Telma looked startled.

"How long have you been down here?" she asked, having not noticed Link at all.

Link shrugged. "Dunno." His face fell into his arms at the table.

"Well, anyway, I'll be back in an hour and a half… no, two hours…" Telma gave a swift smile. "I'll see you three later!" And with a wink, she departed through the door.

Shad caught Ashei's eye.

_Now? _he mouthed, not wanting to catch Link's attention.

Ashei nodded and they stole upstairs, approaching Telma's room. Ashei pulled a pin out from her hair and inserted it into the keyhole on Telma's door. As quietly as she could, she opened the door and slipped inside, dragging Shad along and shutting it behind her.

The room was—despite their expectations—completely and utterly plain. The bedspread, the curtains—none of it was extravagant. A cushion that Louise slept on was placed on the side of the room, next to the nightstand.

"I don't get it," Ashei said dully. "It's so…"

"…_Empty."_

Ashei sighed. "She's hiding something," Ashei decided. "Let's start searching." She made a beeline for the nightstand and pulled the drawer open, starting to rummage through a variety of seemingly regular items—makeup, notebooks, money, and jewelry.

Shad turned on his side and pressed his face into the carpet, examining the underside of the bed. Shoes, stacks of books, notebooks, a small box…

"This will take ages," Shad declared. "The room is chock-full of hidden items."

"No kidding," Ashei grumbled. "Figures."

Shad pulled out what appeared to be some type of album. He flipped through the pages, hoping that he might find a letter hidden there.

Nothing.

"Look what I found," Ashei said suddenly. Shad backed out from under the bed and glanced up. Ashei was holding a cluster of long, thin papers. "Receipts," she declared. Shad's brow furrowed as he took the papers and read them through.

It was a hand-written record of customers—their names were written next to what they had ordered. A date was also provided.

What struck Shad as strange was how much Link's name had appeared starting around six months ago and ending no more than six _weeks _ago.

"Did you realize Link was _drinking _so much?" Ashei asked quietly. Shad shook his head in disbelief.

"No…"

They looked at each other.

"I mean…" Ashei continued, tripping over her words, "I mean, I knew he was having some emotional trouble, but _Goddesses… _alcohol?" She bit her lip and hesitated. "I mean, the dark days kind of took their toll on all of us. And we all noticed he was hurting. We all saw the tension… but I didn't realize he was hurting himself."

"He's been better, though," Shad added suddenly. "I mean, hasn't he?" He shrugged. "Link's been talking a lot. And making jokes. And he's been animated."

"Yes," said Ashei, more to herself than to Shad, "he's definitely been healing." She pulled a face as she remembered how Link had been those first few months after Ganondorf had fallen and Zelda had been restored to the throne…

Link had been friendly with them all. But those smiles, they had all been fake for awhile there. Polite smiles, where he forced his lips into a shape that he didn't mean for the fear of being offensive. The group, they'd all discussed it. They'd noticed the strange way he held himself, the droop in his shoulders, the awkwardness of his gait. Behind his back, of course, but _still…_ had he been hurting himself?

Okay, Ashei decided, so yeah, Link was funny, kind of a pain in the ass, but funny. He was friendly. He always acted happy.

Was there more to this than he was letting on?

For the first time, it seemed plausible.

He'd been in a bad mood this morning, Ashei remembered. They'd been fighting again, and suddenly during their argument, Link had seemed weak. He had given in. He'd decided that Ashei was right. And suddenly he was telling her that he wasn't really angry with her, he was just pushing her away because he was afraid of becoming too close.

Ashei just sat there and talked to him, blaming his attitude on his hangover. It had made sense at the time.

Suddenly, things were coming into a new light.

_Our arguments… is he pushing me away for a reason? _Ashei wondered. _Is he really afraid of becoming too close? _

"Shad," she suddenly said, "I was wondering... did Link ever… was there ever anybody… where Link felt really close to them and then lost them?"

Shad shrugged.

"Oh."

Ashei suddenly remembered what she was in Telma's room for. "Keep searching," she instructed Shad. "We need to find those letters."

"And what do you mean by that?"

Ashei nearly jumped out of her skin, whirling around. Telma was in the doorway, tapping her foot.

"I—I—" Ashei turned to Shad, who was obviously starting to panic.

_Keep your cool, _she prayed, eyeing Shad sternly. _Dammit, Shad, keep your cool—_

"RUN!" cried Shad, obviously deciding to be a complete and utter idiot. He dashed from the room, startling Telma on his way out. Ashei took off after him. She lumbered down the staircase after Shad, realizing a second too late that he had stopped moving. She slammed into him suddenly, and _he _slammed into _Link, _who had been waiting for both of them at the bottom of the staircase.

They fell onto the floor in a pile.

"Well, this is romantic," Shad decided, sandwiched in between Link and Ashei.

Telma appeared seconds later.

"If by romantic," Ashei said, "you mean _the reason we're going to die_, then you've got it spot on."

Telma grabbed Ashei and Shad by the collars and wrenched them up. (Some people forgot how _strong _Telma was at times…)

"What were you doing in my room?" she demanded, having transformed from sweet, loveable Telma into something of a less-sweet, still-loveable, terribly-dangerous woman.

Ashei gulped. "What were _you _doing in there?" she asked. "I thought you were going to be gone for two hours."

"I left for town and realized I'd forgotten… something."

"Forgotten _what?"_

"Never you mind. Now, what I want to know is… _what did you mean, letters?"_

"We're just worried, okay?" Ashei finally cried. "You keep getting these letters from Renado, and nobody will tell us what they mean, and Link is acting like it's some big secret—"

Telma released Shad and Ashei and turned to Link. "What do they mean by that, Link?"

Link glared at Ashei. Then, he turned back to Telma with a guilty look on his face. "A few days ago… Auru and I were_… _talking."

"What about?" asked Telma. Shad almost laughed. Not even a minute ago, Link had been in the clear. Now, Telma was victimizing him, too.

"I think you _know _what about," he answered, and suddenly his tone turned fierce. "And I'm starting to think that _they _should, too! Telma, they have a right to know!"

Telma looked taken aback. "Well, then, if _that's _what this is about—"

"Face it, Telma, it's not something that should be hidden! I've been doing it for you, but I think you should tell them—"

"Tell us what?" Ashei cried, unable to control herself any longer. "Just _tell _us! If something's wrong, let us help!"

"Nothing's wrong!" Telma countered.

"Everything's wrong!" Link insisted in retaliation. "You keep all of these things to yourself until everything's about to fall apart—"

"Oh, real _cute_, Ordonian!" Ashei shouted. "You're such a hypocrite! It's not like you're perfect! You're hiding something, too!"

Link looked up in shock. "Oh, so now this is about _me_?"

"Maybe!" Ashei declared. "We found all these records of customers—you were drinking _so much, Link—_only a few months ago!"

Everyone grew quiet at once.

It was incredible, the atmosphere. Just another movement from any one of them, and everything would explode. The tension was thick; all it would take was just the tiniest movement, and they'd be ready to kill each other—

The door opened without warning and Rusl cantered inside with a broad grin on his face.

"Hello, friends!" he greeted with a smile. "It's great to see you all again!" he dropped a suitcase on the ground.

The next to enter was Ilia, who was dragging a suitcase behind her. She was laughing at something, wearing a floppy sunhat.

"Link!" she cried, dropping her suitcase and running to her friend, her hat flying off in the process. She found Link and locked her arms around him. He stumbled backwards in surprise, blinked a few times, and then smiled suddenly, hugging her back.

"Ilia," he said. "It's great to see you." And then he gave a genuine grin.

Ilia's arrival had broken the tension like the sun breaking through clouds. Link buried his face into Ilia's hair for a second, taking in the woodland scent and rocking her back and forth happily. What had just happened? All of his anger had just melted away.

_Goddesses, _she was his best friend. He'd forgotten how happy she made him.

Telma's anger had washed away, too. She looked at the two and then just smiled, shaking her head.

Link opened his eyes, glancing over Ilia's shoulder. He looked at Shad, who seemed befuddled, and then at Telma, who seemed pleased.

Then he looked at Ashei.

They locked eyes for a fraction of a second. And then Ashei turned on her heel and marched swiftly up the stairs, not bothering to look back.

There was a pang in Link's chest that only lasted for a few seconds.

And then Ilia said, "Link, I have to tell you the best story about Colin… you'll be so proud of him…"

And the pang went away instantly, replaced with a warm feeling that Link hadn't felt in a long time.

**I'm sorry that this update took so long! I know this chapter only created questions and didn't answer any. I promise things will make starting sense at one point! **

**Oh, and happy 4****th**** to all you 'mericans out there! I don't know about you, but the heat's gotten the better of me here. I play the bagpipes, so of course I was MELTING in the parades all morning. **

_(Also, thank you for all your wonderful feedback! It means a lot and it's great to see what you all look for in a story. I hope you'll continue to let me know what you want out of MRMR!)_


	4. Chapter 4

"I hope you won't mind sharing a room for a bit," Ilia said as soon a she entered Ashei's room, dragging her enormous suitcase behind her.

Ashei was on her bed, flipping through a field journal. "It's fine," she answered flatly, not bothering to look up.

Ilia bit her lip and looked around the room slowly. "I like your antlers," she finally said, referring to the decoration hung on the wall.

"Thanks."

"I promise I'll get my own room as soon as everything's settled," Ilia continued. "It's just, until then—"

"It's _fine,_" Ashei insisted, shutting her book. She looked up for the first time. "Don't worry about it. I really don't care."

Ilia's shoulders slumped and for a second she looked hurt. She picked herself back up almost immediately when somebody knocked on the door.

"Come in," Ashei said flatly, tossing her book to the side and collapsing back onto her pillow.

Shad and Link trotted through the door, each holding one end of a bed frame. They set it on one side of the room and disappeared, returning seconds later with the fitting mattress.

"Perfect," Link decided once the bed had been fitted with sheets and a new pillow. He caught Ilia's eye. "Like it?"

Ilia nodded with a grin that could light up an entire room. "You're so good to me," she said to Link. She turned to Shad. "You, too."

Shad turned away bashfully, smiling like an idiot.

"Ilia, you know Shad, right?" Link asked suddenly. Ilia and Shad both nodded.

"We've met a few times already," Ilia said. "We all spent a few days together here, in Castle Town. And then we met _again _at the Sanctuary in Kakariko." She almost looked sheepish as she said it.

"_Speaking _of Kakariko," Ashei said dryly, "I think there's some explaining to do."

Ilia looked confused. "What about?"

"About Telma," Shad said, shutting the door and locking it. He looked around at his companions. Then, he turned his eye on Link. "What _exactly _did Auru tell you? We all want to know."

Link gave a sigh and sat down beside Ilia on her bed. Shad tried to sit next to Ashei's feet on the other bed, but Ashei booted him off carelessly and he ended up on the floor.

Link began by explaining to Ilia the situation with Telma. "She had been receiving these letters from Renado," he began. "They'd all been marked for urgent delivery, and at first she denied receiving anything. Then, she said that Renado was asking her to visit. Nobody really understood at first, so we decided to let it be. It wasn't until I brought it up to Ashei that it occurred to me that something could actually be wrong."

Ilia drew her knees up to her chin, clearly interested in the story already.

"A few days ago, I went out to town and ended up having a conversation with Auru. I brought up the letters in passing—just trying to make conversation, you know—and suddenly he turned to me with this urgent look on his face. He said he knew what the letters meant, and that it was a bad thing."

His friends were all staring at him now with that same captivated look. It was almost funny, the wideness of their eyes, the tightness of their jaws.

"We always knew Telma and Renado had had a… _fling_," Link started. "Telma used to brag about it all the time."

"She was flirting with him in Kakariko," Ilia said. "Back during the dark days…" she stopped immediately as she noticed the look on Link's face. "…Never mind."

Link shook himself back to reality. "Anyway, I guess they'd had some conversation about six months ago when Telma was in the village about themselves, and the possibility of getting together again. And the whole thing set Renado off because his wife hadn't even been dead a year, and he thought Telma was kind of being insensitive by trying to rekindle all these old feelings from when they were kids."

The company was practically leaning forward now, grasping onto every word Link said. It was like they couldn't wait for more.

"Telma tried to keep it some big secret, their whole conversation," Link continued. "I guess they didn't want people knowing about their, uh, their _fling_, because it happened during the same time that Renado's wife was pregnant with Luda. So they kept it secret, and that's why he sort of rebuffed her last time they saw each other."

"But that's crazy," Ilia said suddenly. "I never thought of Renado as being _unfaithful_… he's a shaman, for Goddess' sakes!"

"Yeah, but…" Link shifted his weight, "…But they… I don't know, they…"

"This was fourteen years ago," Shad piped up. "They were pretty young… and restless…"

"But what does this have to do with the _letters_?" Ashei asked, obviously not wanting to wait anymore.

"Well, Renado is kind of in a bit of a pickle," Link described, shifting again. "There's this… guy."

"That's vague."

"I know, Shad, but…" Link bit his lip. "There's an issue with the Sanctuary. Renado is more or less the mayor, which is why he lives in the Sanctuary. He has a lot of connections with important people—like Ilia's father, for example. Ilia's the mayor's daughter," he added. He paused and seemed to ponder something for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and continued. "Anyway, ever since Zelda's been restored to the throne there has been this group of soldiers that goes from town to town and tries to weed out untrustworthy leaders."

"I have a feeling I know where this is going," Shad said with a sigh.

"Obviously, Kakariko is one of Hyrule's most popular towns—it's been getting a lot of tourism recently. And so this would mean that Renado would be one of the first to be interviewed by this group. So far, he's proven to be pretty trustworthy, but it would take very little to prove otherwise. And then he would lose his rights to the Sanctuary _and _his rights to protect the graveyard."

"But that's _wrong!" _Ilia argued. "That fling with Telma doesn't make him a bad leader. That's his personal life and has nothing—_nothing—_to do with who he is now!" She looked angered. "Renado is an old friend," she growled. "How _dare _they hurt him…."

"Renado saw this coming a mile back," Shad said. "In one of his letters to Telma, he mentioned that they'd had a conversation about this exact topic before."

"I remember them saying that!" said Ilia suddenly. "I was there! I didn't remember any of it, of course… I had lost my memory…."

Link had tuned out of the conversation awhile back, focusing only on Ilia. He hadn't noticed until now how much he had really missed her. Her voice, her smile, the way she held her shoulders… it was all so familiar to him. He'd taken up residence in Castle Town, but Ilia reminded him with a pangof Ordon. She was like home to him.

Could he be in love with her?

It was a question that had crossed Link's mind on occasion ever since Telma had invited Ilia to stay with them. He knew that she was his closest friend, his oldest friend, and that was okay with him. But the thought of romance scared him.

_Real _romance. Not just the trophy-wife angle he had played with Zelda. That had been for fun, because he liked her, and also because he felt it was his duty to protect her. When she had shot him down so suddenly—and with fairly blatant disrespect for his feelings—he had been upset, yes, but he had gotten over it fairly quickly.

But the thought of actually _loving _someone—of giving himself over to them, of owning them, and being owned in turn—it terrified him more than any monster ever could.

"…_Link_…."

He shook away his thoughts as he realized Ilia was waving her hand in front of his face.

"_Earth to Link…"_

"Sorry," Link said, rubbing his eyes as if it would make the image of Midna go away. He didn't know when he had started thinking of Midna, but all of a sudden her face had flashed into his head and he couldn't get her out.

"I think we'll just have to convince Telma to deny the relationship," Ashei said, finishing some conversation that Link had missed when he blanked out.

Shad seemed to agree. "If we can get both her and Renado to deny it, then it will get the investigators off of his back for awhile."

"I _still _don't see how this could make him lose his job," Ilia piped up.

"I think if anybody revealed that they'd been… uh… _tapping_… Telma, they'd lose their job," Ashei commented.

"Because it's Telma?" asked Shad innocently.

"Why else?" answered Ashei with a smirk.

"Be_cause_," Link said, "it proves that he's not all he's cracked up to be. His record is pretty flawless, and if a secret like this gets out, they'll wonder what other secrets he's hiding."

"What other secrets _is _he hiding?" asked Shad, clearly amused.

"You don't want to know," Ilia answered with a small smile. When nobody said anything, she looked up. "No, really. You don't. Have I ever told you the sumo-wrestling story?"

"Aaaaaand, we'll leave it at that," Shad decided. "We should go talk to Telma."

…

"Absolutely not."

"_What?_" Ashei cried, taken aback at Telma's crass response. "Telma, I'm sorry, but that's _bullsh—_"

"I don't think you understand why this is so important," Link cut in. Telma seemed quite baffled.

"That's that old shaman's problem, not mine. I don't care what happens to his job. If you had heard what he said to me six months ago—"

"_I _heard," Ilia said quietly. "He was very kind about it… at least, I think so."

Telma bit her lip. She had a soft spot for Ilia and wasn't about to argue with the girl.

"_Listen_," said Link, knowing that it was now or never, "this isn't _about _you and Renado. Sure, you have to deny that you ever knew each other—"

"—Oh, she's denying more than that—" Ashei said.

"_Way _more than that—" added Shad, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

"—But that's worth it when you think about what the _real problem is here_," Link continued. "Being in charge of Kakariko gives Renado rights that he wouldn't otherwise have. First of all, he has rights to the Sanctuary, and since he is—quite coincidentally—the only doctor in Kakariko, he needs that building for medicinal purposes! Furthermore, being in charge gives him the rights to the property that the graveyard is on. He controls who gets in and out. Can you imagine if somebody else besides him had those rights? There would be vandalism, grave robbing, you name it."

Now Telma looked plain uncomfortable. "…Suppose I deny it and they _still _don't believe me. What then?"

"Then at least you tried and Renado will leave you alone," Ashei said, giving her input. She picked up a letter from Renado that had arrived on the bar that morning. "And if you don't… more and more of these every single day."

Telma almost looked angry. "He doesn't deserve my help," she insisted. Everyone else groaned simultaneously.

Ilia stepped forward quietly. "I really think you should do this, Telma," she said, looking the woman in the eye. "Renado is a good man who made simple mistakes… I think you should help him. He's an old friend of mine. And if you're not doing it for him… do it for _me_."

The angle Ilia was playing was quite obvious to her friends, but Telma loved the girl so dearly that she fell right into the trap.

"All right," Telma said with a sigh. "I'll do it. But it's a long trip to Kakariko… I'll need an escort."

"I'll do it," Auru said, who had emerged downstairs a few seconds prior. "We can do it tonight. That shaman has waited long enough. I suggest you go pack."

Telma gave a brisk nod and hurried away. Once she had disappeared upstairs, the group gave a collective chuckle.

"How'd you convince her?" Auru asked. Ilia smiled.

"She's got thick skin," she answered, "hiding a huge heart." Auru nodded, clearly impressed.

"I've been trying to convince her to go for days, now," he commented. He gave Ilia a pat on the shoulder. "But you seem to have it covered."

"How did you know?" asked Ashei, unable to hold back. "How did you know about what was going on, when Telma was so secretive?"

Auru seemed amused. "I'm old," he said. "I know everything that goes on… even that which is supposed to be kept secret." And then he cast Ashei a look that was almost unnerving, because it was clear that he knew something about _her_, too… something that he wasn't letting on.

…

"And this is the Southern Thoroughfare," Link said, giving Ilia a tour of Castle Town. Telma had left for Kakariko an hour or so earlier with Auru and Rusl for company, leaving the kids behind to tend to the bar. Ilia was taking in her surroundings with awe. Ashei and Shad followed suit.

"Over in the corner is the old guy who asks for money," Ashei said. "And across the street you'll see two blond men. One has a guitar. You see them? You wouldn't _believe _what's in _their _pipes."

"Stop making Castle Town out to be terrible," Link said with a chuckle. They made it out into the main square and Ilia's eyes widened.

"The _castle_," she whispered to herself. "Hyrule Castle." She turned to Link eagerly. "What's it like inside?"

What happened to Link's face then was interesting. The smile vanished instantly as something seemed to flash in front of him. After a few seconds, he shook his head—a habit that was becoming more and more apparent to Ilia—and grabbed her wrist. His smile returned.

"And over on the Eastern Thoroughfare is the STAR game… cheapskate's always stealing your money…."

They turned a corner and ran smack into a small crowd of Hylians.

"Excuse me," one said to Link. He went to leave, but then his face lit up in recognition. "Link!" he cried suddenly. "Link of Ordon! Hero of Light!" And he grasped Link's hand, shaking it viciously and introducing himself. Within moments, the others in his party were doing the same.

Ashei and Shad, who were used to this sort of thing, found it funny and played along.

"Link of Ordon!" cried Shad, bursting through the crowd and grasping his hand. "We are so indebted for your services!"

Ashei did the same, grasping Link's other hand and thanking him for saving Castle Town, their voices leaking with over-exuberance.

Ilia was confused by the entire matter. She knew that Link had done great things, but exactly _what _he had done still confused her. Ilia had heard stories of his dealings with a tyrant on Hyrule's throne and of his encounters with the princess- but she thought that these stories had been exaggerated. She had suspected that somebody had marred the truth somewhere along the line that had made Link's deeds seem more extravagant than they actually were.

Could it be that they were… true?

And furthermore… was he _famous _for these deeds? Was he a celebrity? The idea struck her as odd, and at the same time, it kind of made sense.

For the third time, now, Shad squeezed his way to the front of the crowd and thanked Link for saving his cat from a tree.

Link's reaction was automatic. He smiled and nodded, shaking hands. His politeness was forced, it was fake- it wasn't the smile that his friends knew.

…

Link wasn't in the mood to do anything else after that, so the group—somewhat begrudgingly—returned home. The bar was filled to the brim—as was the usual, of course—but all hell had broken loose in the absence of a bartender. The brawny visitors had begun to serve themselves drinks, which was naturally chaotic. There was loud singing and shouting. Laughter came from all corners of the room. A mug went flying across the room and hit the wall directly above Shad's head.

Despite the madness, the group cut through the crowd, paying very little attention and barely caring. Shad seemed awestruck.

"Does nobody notice this… this _pandemonium?" _he cried as something spilled near his feet. Nobody paid any attention to him. "Hello? IS ANYONE GOING TO TEND TO THIS MADNESS?" he shouted. Ashei gave a brisk wave of the hand, and the group disappeared upstairs, leaving Shad to fend for himself.

"Okay!" Shad cried. "I see how it is! Leave all the work to the scrawny, nerdy swabbie—AH!" he had been backpedalling as he spoke, and he had walked straight into a broad-shouldered, angry looking man. The man snarled and Shad noticed that he had caused the man to spill the entire contents of his mug.

Shad gulped. "M-My apologies, Sir, would you like me to, uh, clean that—"

A growl emitted from the man, and Shad knew that he was in far deeper than he would like.

…

"Link?" Ilia opened Link's door softly, tiptoeing inside. The room was dim, with the last of the daylight coming in from the small window and outlining Link's figure. He was sitting on the bed, leaning up against the headboard. His knees were drawn to his chest.

She shut the door quietly behind her and approached the bed, sitting down on the mattress tentatively. "Link?" she asked again.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice dull. He didn't look up at her, and instead watched the window. He seemed strangely weary.

"Are you okay?"

"I am," he answered monotonously.

"All those people in town today, when they were thanking you like that…."

"What about them?"

"Do you get thanked like that _every time _you go out into town?"

Link gave a small nod. Ilia smiled.

"You must be very proud," she said. "The stories I heard—about your travels—I thought they were fake. They seemed too glorious to be true."

"Whatever they told you is true," Link answered.

"Did you really fight a dragon?" Ilia asked now, leaning forward.

"If the dragon story fascinates you," Link said, "then you obviously haven't heard the entire story."

Ilia's eyes widened. "Why? Did you fight something worse than a dragon?"

Link didn't answer. Ilia took his hand, which rested limply on the bed. Almost immediately, he pulled it away.

"You wouldn't understand," he recited. How many times had he said that now? A hundred? A thousand?

Ilia was hurt. "But I _want _to understand," she said. "Tell me, so that I can."

Link finally caught her eye, and he flared with anger. "No!" he yelled. "You wouldn't understand because you weren't there! Just like those other people from town—they thank me because they think that I _pride _in having done what I did!" He leaned forward. "Would _you _be proud if you had hundreds of people _thanking you _for—"

He stopped. Ilia's face softened. "For what?" she asked quietly.

"For being a killing machine," Link answered firmly.

Ilia didn't speak for a second. Then she said, "I'll get out, if you want me to."

"Yeah," Link answered, his voice cracking. Was he crying?

"Goodnight, Link."

He didn't have time to answer—or maybe he just chose not to—before Ilia shut the door behind her.

…

The first thing Ashei noticed when she entered her small bathroom that night was that Ilia had strewn her things _everywhere_. Not in an obnoxious, sloppy manner, but in a way that made them evident. She had put them there—whether she had realized it or not—to be noticed.

Perfume, makeup, toiletries. Girly things that Ashei had forsaken as a young child as a way of feeling more masculine. As the daughter of a father who had always longed for a son, Ashei felt that maybe, by making herself feel more boyish, her father would be pleased with her.

It was something she didn't like to think about often, in all honesty. Especially because it all tied into the mystery of her mother—something that Link had mentioned in passing a week earlier. It had struck a nerve when he'd said that, no doubt about it.

She tried to brush the thoughts away, but it was useless, at this point. It was that time of night where—for some reason—her brain decided to remember everything that had ever made her angry, all at once.

And to tie it all together were Ilia's girly _things_, set out for the eye to see. They were probably there to remind Ashei that she was too brutal to ever be wanted by a man, much less Link—

_Woah_. Where had _that _thought come from?

She'd been with Link _way _too much lately. Having changed from her day tunic into some sort of nightgown, she observed her reflection in the circular mirror. She had pulled her hair out of her face in a ponytail and took in her own features, now. Her face was very plain. There was nothing about it that could ever be considered attractive. But maybe that was because she didn't try to dress it up like other girls. Ilia, Zelda, and even _Telma _all put makeup on in the morning.

So why didn't Ashei?

She was a girl. She was nineteen. It would make sense to decorate her face, just a _little_.

She reached for a pallet of colors that belonged to Ilia. They were accompanied by some sort of brush. She'd seen this done before—the dark pinkish color went on the brush, and then was applied to the cheeks.

Half of it was curiosity. The other half was denial. She wanted to do it quickly, if only to get it over with.

The brush hit her face and raised a great pink cloud in her vision. Figuring that she'd started now and might as well finish now, she powdered the rest of her face and did something to outline her eyes.

When she was through, she barely recognized the girl in the mirror. Sure, it made her look more attractive. But at the same time, it wasn't _her_.

This was wrong. Completely wrong. She hadn't been able to resist the urge, and now she regretted it.

She put Ilia's things away and then scrubbed her face until it was raw. The makeup wiped away, leaving the old face she remembered.

Nobody could know about this.

When she returned to her room, she found Ilia curled up on the other bed. She was sniffing about something.

_Probably lamenting over a broken nail_, Ashei figured as she snuffed out her candle and let the darkness surround her.

**The next update will probably not be for awhile, unless I can squeeze one in this weekend. I'm leaving in just over a week for a trip to Scotland—hello, UK!—and will not be returning until mid August. **

**Additionally, I apologize for the complete lack of Link/Ashei interaction, which has been a big focus until now. I promise that the next chapter—which will focus on a fishing trip—will make up for it!**

**Reviews are appreciated! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Ashei's eyes drifted open the next morning at the sound of the bedroom door slamming shut. Ilia strode in and plopped down on the bed.

"What's that?" asked Ashei weakly, referring to a large green bundle wrapped in Ilia's arms. Ilia jumped at the sound of Ashei's voice.

"Yikes! Ashei, I'm so sorry, did I wake you up?"

"Yes," Ashei answered, wondering whether she actually sounded bitter enough to be convincing. In all honesty, Ilia _had _woken Ashei up, but Ashei didn't care. She just wanted to make Ilia _think _she cared, to remind Ilia that she didn't fit in yet.

"This is a watermelon," Ilia said, answering Ashei's previous question. "Well, half a watermelon." It was true- the watermelon had been sliced in half, exposing the pink interior in the shape of a perfect circle. Without further ado, Ilia revealed a spoon—where had she been keeping _that_?—and began eating the watermelon with her spoon like it was a bowl of soup.

"You're so weird," Ashei stated.

"I know," Ilia answered simply.

With a sigh, Ashei sat up in her bed, pushing her thick black hair out of her face and letting it fall behind her shoulders.

"I saw you were rummaging through my makeup last night," Ilia now said, trying to tackle a scoop of watermelon that had come out quite larger than she had planned.

Ashei felt her stomach turn over. "What makes you think that?" she asked, trying to sound amused and not defensive.

"We girls _always_ know," Ilia answered, and then yelped as her too-big scoop of watermelon slid off of her spoon as a sacrifice to the floor. "_Darn _it!" Ilia yelled, and laughed. Ashei caught herself chuckling along, and stopped as soon as she realized what she was doing.

_No_, Ashei reminded herself. _This is Ilia. The last thing __**she **__needs to do is feel special._

The door burst open and Shad strode inside, slamming it behind him. Ashei growled, and Shad yelped.

"Knock next time, _yeah?" _Ashei demanded, retrieving yesterday's burgundy tunic from the foot of the bed. She pulled a white undershirt and leggings from the drawer and marched into the bathroom to change.

Shad turned to Ilia once the door had shut, an incredulous smile playing its way across his face. "Is that a _watermelon?_"

"Yeah," Ilia answered, "it is. Weird, right?"

Shad shook his head. "Not at all." He added, as an afterthought, "Telma and her crew are back."

"What? Already?" Ilia replied.

"Yes. She wasn't too eager to stay around Renado, so they made the trip in less than a day. The new road system Princess Zelda ordered has been working out quite nicely for travel."

"Sit down," Ilia suggested, patting the quilt in front of her. Shad sat down awkwardly.

Ilia nodded her head in the direction of the bathroom. "Is Ashei in a bad mood?" asked Ilia, digging again into her watermelon.

"Are you kidding?" Shad answered, laughing. "She's in a _great _mood. Usually she spends every morning trying to kill Link."

"Really?" Ilia answered, leaning forward.

"Yeah. They fight a lot."

"I didn't know that. Link never seemed one to pick a fight before the dark days. Now he's arguing with everyone. Do you know… do you know what happened to him? Something changed him."

Shad bit his lip. "I get this question a lot," he answered. "You're not the first one to ask, believe me. Rusl, Telma, Ashei—everyone's wondering how he ended up the way he is. When he's in large company, he's very cheery. _Overly _cheery, if you will. But if somebody strikes a nerve—and it happens quite often, believe it or not—he opens right up. He drinks a lot, too.

"So, in that way, Ilia, you're right. There's definitely something off about Link. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I've come to the conclusion that something must have happened to him that came as quite a shock; something happened that he couldn't get over. Maybe it's shell shock, from the fighting? Or—and this one confuses me—somebody might have died that he loved very, very much. Losing somebody hurts a lot—I lost my parents at a young age—and it wouldn't surprise me if what caused him to change like this was loss."

Ilia gulped. "I never knew you lost your parents," she said quietly. "Did you say that you lost both of them?"

"To illness, yes," Shad answered. He added, quickly, "But don't fuss over me. It's nothing to cry over. I barely knew them, anyway. All that's left of them is my father's vast research, which I have taken upon myself to finish."

"Oh," Ilia said softly. She struggled to change the topic as quickly as she could. "Link and I had a bit of a row last night," she said. "How should I face Link about it?"

"I wouldn't worry," Shad said, having stood up and now brushing off his trousers. "Link usually deals with things by trying to forget about them—hence his false cheeriness. He won't try and reconcile with you. If anything, he'll pretend last night never happened."

As if on cue, a soft knock came from the door. Two seconds later, Link entered with a smile.

"Morning, Shad!" he said. "Morning, Ilia!"

Ilia turned to Shad, impressed with his knowledge of Link's tendencies.

"Where's Ashei?" asked Link.

"Changing," Shad and Ilia answered simultaneously. For a second, they turned to each other. And then they broke out into synchronized smiles.

"Really?" Link replied. "I figured she had gone out, seeing as she didn't wake me up with a death threat this morning."

"An inclination which would not surprise me at all," Shad agreed, adjusting his glasses.

"I bet she was done in by that bum rush in Castle Town yesterday," Ilia admitted. "I know I am."

"Well, I hope you're not too tired. I've got plans for today."

Ashei emerged from the bathroom at that moment. "Plans?" she asked, having heard the last few lines of the conversation. She reached for her fur-lined boots and slipped them on. Then she grabbed her leather belt and fastened it around her waist. She didn't wear much armor nowadays—nobody did—although she kept it polished and in good condition should the chance ever arrive.

Most everybody in the group wore plain, simple clothing—tunics, for the most part. The exception was Shad, who still dressed like a mix of Princess Zelda and a runaway circus member.

And then there was Link, who still wore that old green tunic with the stupid hat. The thing smelled—she couldn't begin to imagine what he'd gone through in that uniform—and Ashei couldn't get over the fact that he refused to change out of it.

It wasn't that he had nothing else to wear—he _did._

It was just that he chose not to.

"Yeah. I figured we've all been holed up in here for awhile now, and so I thought it would be a good idea to get out for awhile."

"Okay," Ashei said. "Pitch it to me."

"I thought we'd go to Hena's pond," Link suggested. "It's up on the river. We could rent a boat… maybe go fishing, maybe cast a line or something,"

Shad shrugged. "Sounds fishy to me."

There was a short pause, and then Ashei slapped Shad right across the face.

Shad only laughed. "I regret nothing."

"It's decided, then," Link said.

"Wait," Ilia cut in.

"Yes, Ilia?"

Ilia wiggled uncomfortably. "Can I finish my watermelon first?"

"Only if you finish it on the way down the stairs," Link answered, slinging his arms around both Shad and Ashei. "We'll be waiting in the bar."

They got downstairs to find Auru sitting at the bar. Neither Telma nor Rusl were anywhere to be seen. Ilia trailed several seconds behind them, an empty watermelon shell in her arms. She found a home for it in a trash bin adjacent to the bar itself.

"I see you've returned in one piece," Shad commented upon sight of the old man. Auru smiled weakly.

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

"What does that mean?" Shad now asked.

"Oh, we had a run in with a league of bulbins. Rusl was more than happy to ward them off. I tried to help, but—well, as you can imagine, I've seen better days as far as fighting goes."

"Bulbins in Hyrule Field?" Ashei asked. "That's strange. I thought they all left when Gan—when Zelda was restored to the throne."

Ilia cast Ashei a strange look. It was obvious that she had been about to say 'Ganondorf.' Despite being unaffiliated with most of the events the occurred six months ago, even Ilia—a young girl living on a _farm_—knew the name of the tyrant. Was there a taboo on the name that kept Ashei—and, for that matter, anyone around here—from saying it?

Curious, she turned her gaze to Link. He looked just as uncomfortable as Ashei.

Was that it? Was he sensitive to the name?

Between Link's attitude last night and the things Shad had said earlier, it was becoming steadily clearer to Ilia that the man Link was now was not the same one that she had known back on the farm.

"Where are you lot headed off to?" asked Auru, changing the subject with a certain amount of deftness.

"We're going fishing," Link explained. Auru shook his head.

"Bad idea, mate," he advised. "It's going to rain later."

"Says who?" Ashei returned.

"His bones, probably," Shad answered.

"My bones indeed," Auru clarified, to the disgust of the younger ones. "What? Don't give me that look. My brain says, look at the sky! It's blue! But my bones are telling me not to trust it. The atmosphere is heavy. It will rain."

"We'll be _fine_," Ashei assured him. "If it rains, we'll come back." She smirked.

"Very well," Auru answered, raising his eyebrows. Ilia couldn't tell whether he was amused or disappointed. "But when you're soaking wet, don't come crying to me!"

"Ashei doesn't cry," Shad claimed on the way out of the door. "It will just be raining on her face."

…

"Oh, Link!" cried Hena when she saw him enter through the cabin door. "I haven't seen you in _ages!_" She hopped nimbly over the counter and pulled him into a tight embrace, which he returned rather weakly.

"Good to see you, too," he said, giving her a pat on the back. After awhile he said, "I don't know what your motives are, but if you're going to hold me here forever, then…"

"Sorry!" Hena cried, pulling away. Shad stumbled in next.

"Ashei tried to push me into the pond!" Shad cried.

"Oh, please," Ashei groaned, trailing in behind him and patting him on the shoulder. "I would never do that. The pond doesn't deserve it."

"It would have been fine if Ilia didn't make a big fuss about it and try to help me, thinking that I might be hurt!"

"Have a crush?" asked Hena in amusement as Ilia materialized in the doorway.

"Nah," Ashei answered. "Ilia doesn't deserve that either."

Hena laughed and high-fived Ashei.

"Don't make fun of him," Ilia demanded.

"Oh, calm yourself. It's out of love," Ashei explained.

Shad rolled his eyes. "She lies," he said. "It's out of spite, jealousy, and some form of twisted glee."

"Let her go," Link said. "She's happy for once."

Ashei shrugged, not at all offended. "It's true," she said with a hint of pride.

Link turned to Hena. "Do you have any boats for lease? And fishing rods, for that matter?"

"I do indeed," Hena answered. "It's a beautiful day. Might rain, though…."

"Figures," Shad grumbled.

"You wouldn't be looking for a fun, savvy guide, would you?" Hena asked, bumping Link's hip with her own.

"Not today," Link answered. "We can manage on our own. I'll show 'em the ropes."

Ilia took a moment to observe Link's behavior. It was becoming a favorite study of hers. Link was like an experiment—exposing him to different atmospheres affected the way he acted.

Here, in public, but around people he was comfortable with, Link was mature and relaxed, while still managing to be happy.

In the bar—around Ashei and Shad, in particular—Link was a little sillier, a little more spontaneous and tenacious.

And then, when alone or dreadfully uncomfortable, link closed himself up completely and just held everything in until he exploded. It was almost like you had to be careful, or he'd become dangerous.

Goddesses, who _was _this man? He was delicate. Far more delicate than anyone—even Ilia—wanted to admit. And she was beginning to realize that the others sensed that, as well, and that they tried their best to live with it.

"I can only fit two in a canoe," Hena explained, leading the group outside. There were several other canoes already out on the pond with fishermen and tourists inside. "You'll have to split up into groups."

"Okay," said Link, taking control. "How about… Ilia and me in one, and Ashei and Shad in the other?"

Ashei turned to Shad and wiggled her eyebrows. Shad shook his head violently.

"No way!" he cried. "She'll shove me into the water!"

Link rolled his eyes. "All right, then. Shad, will you share with Ilia?"

A smile crossed Shad's face. "That sounds nice."

"Glad to know I'm loved," Ashei mused, throwing her arm across Link's shoulder. "You're stuck with me."

"Oh my God," Shad said. "You two will try and _kill _each other…"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Ashei said, stepping tentatively into a canoe as Link pushed it into the water.

"Hey, I have an idea," Ilia said. "How about a fishing contest?"

"You're going down," Link informed her.

"You're telling me," Shad muttered, staring ominously into the murky water as the boat cruised out onto the lake.

Link handed Ilia one of the paddles and they rowed out into the center of the lake. Link fiddled with his fishing line to attach the desired lure before looking around and casting it.

Ashei was sitting behind him and, the line cast, he turned around to face her.

"And now… we wait." He smiled. "Do you know how to fish?"

"I know how to ice fish," she said. "Is it anything like that?"

Link shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I've never been ice fishing—ah," he said as something tugged on the line. "Here." He passed the fishing rod to Ashei, who—having at least some idea how to fish—started reeling in the catch. She was actually quite good for never having gone fishing—although, who knows, maybe she _had _been fishing before. It wasn't quite below her to lie in order to seem more impressive.

She landed a bass swiftly and easily. Link jotted something about the fish down in a fishing journal—something he'd been carrying with him since Colin made him his first fishing rod—and then suggested that Ashei throw it back into the water, as it wasn't setting any kind of record and wasn't worth keeping.

Shad and Ilia weren't having as much luck on their boat. They were a ways across the pond, struggling to untangle a fishing line.

"Boy," said Ashei, casting the line herself this time, "they're really something."

"I think they'll get along well," Link mused, laughing as a pike jumped out of the water and caused Shad to nearly fall out of the boat.

"Just like you and I," Ashei added.

Link shook his head. "Nah. Not _that _well."

"It hasn't been just you and I for awhile," Ashei said, reeling in an empty line. They paddled farther through the water until Shad and Ilia were out of earshot. "I know Ilia's important to you, but… well, it's been a few days since we were able to talk."

"I should have known this was coming," Link groaned. "We're never sharing a boat again."

Link glanced up to see Ashei smile. That smile made him incredibly happy for no reason at all.

"We found, um, _receipts_. Customer receipts. Shad and I were a little startled—your name showed up a _lot_. You've, um, been… drinking, yeah?"

"Yeah," Link answered. "Don't worry about, me, okay? I've been better. I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

Link didn't answer, as at that moment something caught on the line and the boat gave a jolt.

"What? What is it?"

Link gave the line a passionate tug, reeling the fish in with all he had.

"Holy Hyrule... there's got to be a _whale _on the other end of this thing!" Link cried, and Ashei suppressed a rude comment about Princess Zelda.

"Keep reeling," Ashei demanded, trying to cover up her excitement by speaking in a dull voice. It was a bad habit of hers.

There were a few suspenseful seconds where Ashei thought that the boat might tip over, and then Link reached down into the water and retrieved the most glorious creature Ashei had ever seen.

"What _is _that?" she asked in something just above a whisper.

"Oh," answered Link, "just the Great Hylian Loach."

Ashei leaned forward, eyes wide. "I thought those didn't exist!"

Link shrugged. "Nah. I've caught a million of 'em. Just ask Hena."

And with that, Link unhooked the fish and released it back into the pond, much to Ashei's dismay.

…

"Heavens above!" Shad cried, craning his neck in Link's direction. "What is that _mammoth creature _on the one end of Link's fishing line?"

"Ashei?" asked Ilia dully.

"No!" Shad cried, completely oblivious to the insult Ilia had just thrown out. "It's some type of fish!"

Ilia glanced up once, returned her eyes to the tangled fishing line, and then did a double take. She leaned forward, her eyes about to pop out of her head.

"It's a loach!" she cried. "Link caught a Hylian loach—a Great Hylian Loach!" she couldn't contain herself with excitement.

Something slowed down for a second as Shad looked over her face. She was young and lively, a smile on her face that radiated innocence and warmth. For a second, Shad let his shoulders slack so he could just sit still and watch her happiness for a little while.

But then the perfect image cracked as Ilia opened her mouth in protest. "What is he _doing?" _she cried. "He's letting it back into the water!" With a huff, she collapsed back into the canoe. "Figures."

"Link at his finest," Shad agreed. He glanced down at the tangled line, a puzzle which Ilia had nearly solved.

"There we go," Ilia said, straightening out the line. "Ready to go."

There were a few seconds of awkward silence, broken by Ilia's: "You don't know how to fish, do you?"

…

Link managed to land another bass and a pike, while Ashei caught a pike and an Ordon Catfish. They had kept the larger pike—Ashei's—and returned the others to the water, jotting down their fish count. It was now at six. Over an hour had passed, and Link thought it might be a good idea to catch up with Shad and Ilia, if only to see whether they were still winning the competition.

Astoundingly, the pair in the other boat _had _caught a fish. It was a tiny greengill, a fish that didn't even require a lure to catch. Somehow, Shad had landed it, and he was quite proud.

"Look at this fish!" Shad cried. "Not half bad, is it?"

"Put it back in the water!" Ilia was protesting. "…Poor little guy."

"Link caught a whale," Ashei commented.

"That still only counts as one, though," Shad harrumphed.

"Shad, put the fish back in the water," Link ordered. With a sigh, Shad unhooked the miniature creature and released it back into the pond.

"It's starting to get late," Ilia said, glancing at the sky. "If we don't leave within the hour, we'll never get home before dark."

"Good point," Link said. "All right. Let's bring it in—Shad, what are you doing?"

During their conversation, Shad had cast his line back into the water, upset at losing his prize. Now, the line gave a hearty tug. Whatever beast was at the other end of the line was apparently intent on capsizing the boat.

Shad reeled with everything he had. After a few seconds, it became clear that this was no ordinary fish. It must have been the loach, similar to the one Link had landed.

The fish put up a glorious battle. Shad did his best to catch the fish, but it was all to no avail. The loach on the other end of the line gave one final tug, pulling Shad straight out of the boat and into the water with a splash.

He was underwater for a second or two before he surfaced, gripping onto the edge of the boat and panting.

"And you were _so worried _I was going to push you into the water," said Ashei, leaning back in her boat. "Lesson learned."

Shad glared at her while spitting some seaweed back into the pond. He did his best to clamber back into the boat, but only flipped the entire canoe over, sending Ilia into the pond as well.

She emerged with a scowl that broke after a couple seconds. Link and Ashei were roaring with laughter in the other boat.

"So long, suckers!" Ashei cried, and the two paddled away.

"Well, this is just great!" Shad spat. "I fell into the water, capsized the boat, _and _lost my fish. Could my luck get any _worse?_"

And then it started to rain.

**Told you I might try and update! Here it is, then, chapter 5. I thank you for your continued support with this story, and I hope you will continue to review and give me your thoughts and ideas!**

**On the other hand, I won't be updating for at least a week. When I do, however, we will see Shad's attempt at reaching the heavens—the City in the Sky. Link has plans to shoot him out of a cannon… we'll see how this goes.**


	6. Chapter 6

The days following the fishing incident were relatively peaceful. Rusl returned to Ordon, promising to return again within the month. The bustle in Kakariko toned down considerably as the Hyrulean Leadership Interrogation Team—as they had come to be called—set their sights elsewhere and Renado was left alone.

Auru returned daily to the castle to participate in royal affairs. Telma had a trip planned to visit a sister—Telma had a sister?—in a small town a ways off from the city. The absence of the three responsible adults once more could prove to be bad news for the teenagers as they were being left to fend for themselves.

"I promise I'll see you all very, very soon!" Telma cried adoringly, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders and scooping her luggage into her arms. She pulled Link, Ilia, and Ashei into a hug. (Shad struggled to join the hug… it did not work out very well.)

And with that Telma set off for a full month. Ashei was quick to react, slipping a bottle of wine from the shelf and giving an excited call of "Cheers, it's free!"

The first few days after Telma left went swimmingly, with frequent trips out into town. Everybody was getting along for once—although, whenever Ashei thought things were a little _too _peaceful, she would start an argument just for the sake of it.

There was nothing to do or to lose, and that was when Shad decided it was time to ask Link a very important question.

…

"Shad?" asked Link groggily, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. The blurry image of Shad leaning over Link's face came gradually into focus.

"Shad," Link repeated, "what in the _hell_…?"

"Link, we need to talk," Shad said simply.

"About _what_? It's the crack of dawn, for goddess' sakes." Link sat upright and gave a violent yawn.

"You made a promise," Shad said—fully dressed and awake—"a few months ago."

Link felt a wave of terror run through him. "Was I drunk?" he asked suddenly. Alarmed, he added, "I didn't ask you to marry me, did I? Because I was probably really wasted, and I'll be honest, I don't swing that way—"

"You said you'd bring me to the City in the Sky," Shad cut in with a roll of the eyes. "We were having a conversation, _no_, you weren't wasted. Perhaps you remember—you stole my field journal and nearly knocked me out with it. You threw it at my head, I fell off the barstool… does any of this ring a bell?"

"Shad, it's five in the morning. _Everything's _ringing, and it's not pleasant." Link swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, forcing his brain to become alert.

"I was thinking," Shad continued, "that we could go today. But we'd have to leave really early—like, right now, I mean. And so I decided to wake you up."

"Yeah, okay," Link said, not really thinking straight. "Sky City it is… it's a short ride down to the lake…"

"Why are we going to the lake?" asked Shad, unaware of exactly what procedure was used to get to the Oacca's City in the Sky.

"You'll see," Link answered, finding his green tunic. "Just you wait."

…

Ashei awoke a few hours later to find a note outside her door.

_A-_

_Went out with Shad to visit Sky City._

_Will be back sometime later tonight._

_-L_

"Figures," Ashei muttered, swiping up the note and sticking it into her pocket. Great. Everyone was gone, leaving her completely alone with Ilia.

There was still a decent amount of unresolved awkwardness between Ashei and the farm girl. It was clear by now that Ashei wanted nothing to do with Ilia, but Ilia seemed frustratingly oblivious to this and still demanded frequent attention from the warrior girl.

So… Ashei was left at the bar by herself with Ilia until later that night.

Today would be a good day to get drunk.

…

The walkway ended and Shad followed Link out into a clearing. They pushed through a few thick trees, leaped down a short ledge, and after a few short strides—and a few more scrapes from the bushes—burst out onto the shore of Lake Hylia.

"Told you I knew a shortcut," Link said. Shad clutched his journal to his chest nervously, scanning the water for sharks.

Link seemed right at home, however, and set off up a ramp leading to the engraved entrance to Lanayru's spring.

"Nice day, isn't it?" he continued. "Great day for flying."

Shad's brow furrowed. "…Flying? I'm liking this less by the second."

"Fyer! Good day!" Link shouted, waving to an absurdly dressed man on a strangely ornamental raft.

"G'day, Mister Link!" the man answered.

"I was wondering whether you'd recommend a trip to the heavens today!" Link continued, approaching the man.

"Well, certainly," the man answered. "The weather's perfect if you find yourself inclined to make the trip."

Link gave a nod. "Thank you for your time. Follow me, Shad…"

He led Shad across the rafts to a distant bank, approaching a mammoth metal structure,

"Wh-what's that?" asked Shad, gulping.

"This, my friend," Link answered, "is the Sky Flyer 2000. Good name, huh? I named it myself."

"What does it do?" asked Shad. Link smirked.

"You really don't know?"

"I'm—I'm afraid not," Shad answered, knowing _exactly _what it did and feeling himself break out into a light sweat.

"It's a cannon," Link answered. At Shad's worried expression, he smirked. "Don't worry," he promised. "It's perfectly safe. I've done it hundreds of times."

"I don't know whether this is a good idea—"

"Here— just climb up the ladder and into the crawlspace inside. This thing was _built _for humans, you've got nothing to worry about."

Shad glanced up at the cannon and frowned.

"Come _on_, Shad. Don't worry." Link gave Shad a shove and he stumbled toward the cannon, resting a hand on one of the rungs of the ladder.

"_Shad_. It's for research. Just _do _it." Link was exasperated at this point. "I told you—I've done it hundreds of times."

Shad bit his lip and then tucked his journal safely in his jacket, taking one last look at Link, who smiled encouragingly.

Shad took a deep breath and then wedged himself into the crawlspace, coughing at the dusty, powdery interior. It smelled bad in here. He clenched his eyes shut and waited…

He felt the cannon give a shake as it readied to launch—Link must have lit a fuse, then—and then there was a bang that just about shattered Shad's eardrums.

And then a searing pain flew threw his body as the cannon launched prematurely and he rocketed straight into the dirt.

…

Link felt a wave of horror fly from one end of his body to the other. The cannon hadn't had time to adjust properly and had fired before it was supposed to. Now Shad had suffered because of it.

Link was sprinting toward Shad before he had time to think. He kneeled beside's Shad's crumpled body and rolled him so he was facing upwards. He had landed badly on his side and his leg looked mangled—legs _definitely _weren't supposed to bend like that.

"_Shit," _Link cursed under his breath. "Oh, shit." He put his hands on Shad's chest just to make sure he was alive—yes, he was.

Shad's glasses had exploded on the impact and glass had implanted itself in Shad's cheek, releasing beads of blood where it had cut the skin.

Link grabbed Shad's shoulders. "Shad. Shad, wake up, c'mon, we need to help you…."

After a few seconds, Shad groaned weakly and his eyes flickered open.

"I hate you," he grumbled. Link almost smiled. Then, his frown intensified. "We need to get you help. _Now_."

…

Link glared at the white curtain intensely, his head in his hands. He had been _so sure _that the cannon would work… Shad had been right to worry. Link exhaled into his hands, trying to stop his heart from racing.

Doctor Borville emerged from behind the curtain, pulling off his gloves and dropping them into a disposal bin, drawing the curtain shut behind him.

"Is he okay?" Link asked.

"See for yourself," Borville answered, shaking his head and trotting away, mumbling something about Link owing so many rupees for this that he'd be in debt for the next twenty years.

Link ventured behind the curtain in the small doctor's office and pulled a chair up to Shad's bedside. Shad was propped up against several pillows, his entire leg mummified from the hip down. A small jar on the nightstand was filled with little shards of glass. Shad's right cheek had been stitched up and bandaged.

"You owe me a new pair of glasses," Shad said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the empty frames that had been set beside the jar.

"I know," Link said. He shifted his weight and sighed. "Listen. I'm so, so sorry. This was my fault. I'm a fuck up." His face fell into his hands.

Shad's eyes widened. "Link!" he cried. "Don't say that! You were only trying to support me and my _dream! _Don't you _dare _blame yourself!" Shad finished, harrumphing decisively.

"But a few minutes ago you said— "

"Never mind what I said," Shad cut in. "I was only joking. I'm _fine _now—I just need to regain my bearings and you can help me limp back to Telma's."

Link glanced up cautiously. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do."

For the first time in his life, Link felt a true, deep appreciation for Shad. He'd never really cared much about Shad before because he was kind of the group pet and they loved making fun of him.

Link smiled. "Thanks."

…

Ashei tipped her bottle back, enjoying the wine as slid down her throat. She scooped her tongue around the rim, getting every last drop, and then tossed the empty bottle into a bin near the wall. She took another off the shelf, returned to her seat, plopped her feet up onto the table, and then popped the cork off with a satisfied grin.

Somebody screamed from upstairs. A few seconds later, Ilia scurried down the stairs, a panicked expression on her face.

"What is is now?" asked Ashei dully, cursing all of her friends for leaving her alone with Ilia.

"It's raining in the bathroom!" Ilia cried.

Ashei smirked. "The SHOWER?"

"...What?"

"It's supposed to do that. It's a shower. Castle Town has a sewage system."

"What's a sewage?" Ilia now asked.

"A SEWER," Ashei answered, "is sort of like an underground river that brings water to your home."

"So it's... A good thing?"

"Yeah," Ashei answered.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Eh," Ashei answered. "Link was the same way when he first got here."

"What are you doing?" Ilia asked.

"Getting drunk," Ashei answered, throwing her head back and letting more wine drizzle onto her tongue.

"Why?" Ilia asked.

"Because Telma's gone so it's free." She took another swig. "A single drink is goddamn expensive around here." She paused. "Usually I pay with Shad's money," she added as an afterthought.

"Shad says Link drinks a lot," Ilia said.

Ashei's hand froze. "He told me he's been better," she said, "but I'm not so sure anymore."

The door opened at the other end of the bar and Link entered. In an attempt to be discreet, Ashei re-corked her bottle and slid it back among the others on the shelf.

"Oh, goddesses!" Ilia cried, and Ashei glanced up dully. She caught sight of Shad and cracked up.

His right leg was wrapped from the knee down in a thick white bandage. He had a crutch under each arm and was limping, stopping next to Link.

"Nice foot," Ashei said with a chuckle.

"Thanks," Shad answered. He added, jokingly, "I got it out of Link's ass."

Link's eyes were downcast. Ashei gave another laugh. Shad rolled his eyes.

"What?" Ashei cried. "Don't antagonize me. I'm not the one who mummified your leg."

Ilia blinked. "You're all insane. You're all totally insane."

"I take great offense to that!" Shad said.

"You take great offense to everything," Ashei said. "Don't get me STARTED on 'Make Ginger Jokes About Shad Day.'"

Even Link laughed. "Cmon, Shad, let's help you upstairs." He took Shad's shoulder and started helping him across the room.

"This is the last time I let you put me in a cannon," Shad muttered. "I at least hope Ashei feels enough pity that she isn't compelled to patronize me anymore."

"If you were stuck in a burning building, your hair would keep anyone from finding you," came Ashei's voice from behind him, right on cue as always.

**Thanks to everyone for your great support so far! My next update will be in a few weeks. Link, struck with cabin fever, will decide to take the day and seek out a brawl in Hyrule Field with Ashei at his side. A bedridden Shad will spend the day with Ilia.**

**Oh, Shad. He's a real forgive and forget kind of guy, as far as Link's concerned.**


	7. Chapter 7

_Knock knock knock._

"Yes?"

"What're you doing?"

"Whittling."

Ashei's brow furrowed as she stared at the wooden surface of the door leading to Link's dormitory.

"_Whittling," _she repeated. "You're _whittling_."

A few footsteps sounded from inside and then the door swung open, revealing Link's smiling face.

"See?" he said. "Look." He held forth a carving of a… what _was _that?

"What…?"

"It's a dragon."

"It's terrible," Ashei remarked. She stared at Link in alarm. "You need to get outside. _Now_." She pushed Link aside and strode into the room, looking around in an apparent search for something. Her eyes lit up when she found it.

"Aha!" she exclaimed, approaching a few pegs on the wall. One of Rusl's handmade swords, sheltered by a leather scabbard, rested upon the pegs. Ashei took it down delicately and held it forward. "How long has it been since you used this?" she asked.

Link stared at her intently. "What are you suggesting?" he asked, already disliking where this was going.

"I'm suggesting that you get outside, yeah? Last time you left town was when Shad broke his leg—"

"—Please don't talk about that—"

"—And that was a full week and a half ago. You _obviously _have a severe case of cabin fever. You need to get out into the world again. And the best way to do that is with a good brawl."

Link was hesitant in his answer. "Ashei… I don't know that I want—"

"You need it," Ashei continued. "Let's go out into Hyrule Field. There are all sorts of bulblins there. They're great for a fight."

"I don't want to kill anyone," Link persisted. "Please, Ashei—"

"We'll be _careful_," Ashei continued. She was almost begging. "Come _on, _Link, you're the Hero of Light! Start acting like it!"

"But I haven't finished my dragon!" Link continued, still trying to talk Ashei out of the task.

"Have mercy on the dragon and don't do anything else to it!"

"Is that a slight on my talents?" asked Link with a smirk.

Ashei rolled her eyes. "Believe me. You're about as artistic as a…" she pondered for a moment. "…Well, a crotchety old Goron. Your talents lie with the _blade_." She held the sword forward with the handle facing Link. His hand hovered above it for a second.

He bit his lip in hesitation. "…And you _promise _we won't kill anyone?" he clarified.

"I _promise_," Ashei answered.

Link gave a small nod and then grasped the hilt of the sword. He pulled it from its sheath and held it in front of him, swinging it lightly.

He broke out into a smile.

"I'd forgotten how good this feels," he mused. His smiled widened. "Okay. Let's do it." He gave Ashei a look that she knew meant business. "Hyrule Field it is."

…

_Knock knock knock._

"Come in."

Ilia entered the makeshift infirmary slowly. Shad lay in the bed near the window, gazing out at the bustling city below. When he heard the door open he looked up, caught sight of Ilia, and smiled.

"It was awfully nice of Telma to lend this room to you," Ilia said, shutting the door behind her.

"Yes, it was," Shad agreed. "I suppose I couldn't take any more of Link. The fellow reaches a certain point where he becomes quite unbearable—usually after a few days of boredom. He was up all night whittling. I finally convinced Telma to either kick him out or move me. Well… you know how she adores Link."

"He and Ashei went out," Ilia said.

Shad looked confused. "Out where?"

Ilia shrugged. "Outside? Link said they were going to fight."

Shad bolted upright in shock. "Fighting each other?!" he cried before wincing in pain and collapsing back onto his pillows.

Ilia giggled. "_No_," she said. "Fighting the bu... the bilbins... no, the bulbills…?"

"The bulblins?" Shad corrected, breaking out into a smile.

"Yeah," Ilia said quietly. "Uh, those." She paused. "Anyway, I came in to ask if you wanted anything to drink. I made coffee downstairs, but I can also make tea if you want. Or if you're hungry, there're biscuits and some weird meat that might be a little out of date…"

Shad smiled. "Tea would be nice, thanks," he said. "And would you mind if… well, could you get my field journal? I left the blasted thing downstairs again and I'm afraid it might end up in the wrong hands if I don't rescue it."

"The wrong hands meaning… Link and Ashei?"

"Meaning Link and Ashei… _drunk_."

…

The weather was perfect for fighting, Link decided. It was cool enough to layer on armor without melting, but warm enough that the joints wouldn't go stiff from the cold. bulblins flocked the distant end of Hyrule Field, riding on wild boars as they protected their camp from potential raids.

"Just so you know," Link said, tugging on Epona's reigns, "the old girl and I are a little rusty. I haven't fought in months. Like… since I fought… you know, _him_."

Ashei gave a sassy smile. "Don't worry," she promised, mounting her black steed in a swift, single move. "I'll protect you." She drew her sword and tossed it into the air, letting it flip and then catching it again by the handle.

Link admired her for a second. She looked capable, which was his favorite thing about her. Her armor glinted in the sunlight. As usual, she was ready to take on the world. She was at home here. This was the kind of thing Ashei had been built for.

Fighting.

Link left his sword in its scabbard and instead turned to his bow, another thing which he had neglected for many months now. He readied an arrow and then held the bow to the side as Ashei propelled her horse forward. Link guided Epona forward, enjoying the feeling of the wind against his face as Epona continued to speed up. He caught up to Ashei and rode side-by-side with her.

Ashei was grinning.

"Ready?!" she called over the wind.

"Yeah," Link answered.

"CHARGE!"

The two went rocketing forward as the horses responded to the command. They raced over the crest of a hill, leaping over small stone walls as the bulblin camp drew closer. The small, goblin-like bandits glanced up in terror as the raid caught them by surprise.

Ashei was ruthless as she rode through the camp, leaping over tents and campfires. She took the blade of her sword and used it to cut a roasting pig from the branch that suspended it over a fire. The half-cooked pig tumbled into the cinders and snuffed out the fire completely.

Ashei cut hammocks down, dumping resting bandits onto the ground. She pulled a tablecloth from a set table, sending pots and pans flying in all directions. The young woman flew through the camp gleefully, wreaking havoc upon her opponents as if she were throwing them a party.

Link was the one who had to deal with the consequences. All hell broke loose as the bandits rushed to their boars, readying fiery arrows and aiming them in Link's direction. He returned the favor, aiming arrows at the legs of the boars in the hopes of promoting their collapse.

A few bulblins charged in his direction and Link rushed to meet them, halting at the last second and slicing the saddle from the pig with his sword. The bandits and the saddle slid from the hog's back and landed on the ground with a _thud_.

Figuring that this was a pretty solid tactic, Link continued to slice the saddles and the bridles until several bulblins had been forcibly dismounted from their steeds.

Most of all Link was careful to aim poorly enough that nobody—including himself—was seriously injured. This was purely for the thrill of the fight, not for the sake of killing. This, Ashei had promised.

But would she hold true to that promise?

…

Two cups of coffee. A tin of biscuits. A cut of meat. Napkins. Forks. A few flowers from Telma's hanging plant—hopefully, she wouldn't notice. All balanced on a single wooden tray.

Lastly, Ilia nabbed Shad's field journal from the corner of the room. She slid it onto the tray and then began the perilous journey upstairs, nudging the upstairs door open with her toe. She cantered down the corridor, turning to push Shad's door open with her backside. She entered the room backwards, glanced over her shoulder, and grinned.

"I'm back," she said. Shad grinned at her absurd entrance. Figuring that it might make him feel better, Ilia continued backpedaling toward his bed.

"Watch out for—"

Ilia screamed as she stumbled over a rogue stack of books and fell over. The tray went flying out of her arms and landed a ways away, spilling coffee and biscuits all over the place.

"Sorry!" she cried, scrambling to recover the lost articles. "That's my fault, I was trying to be—_Oh_…."

Ilia turned to Shad in horror. His eyes were wide.

"My book…" he whispered. "Get my book!"

Ilia grabbed the book, flipping through the coffee-sodden pages in terror.

"Shad—Farore, Shad, I'm so, so sorry…." She continued glancing over the pages. Several of the pages had become illegible. She took a few shaky breaths, poring over the ruined documents.

And then she began to cry.

…

The fight wore on late into the afternoon. Ashei had seemingly limitless energy, whereas Link was beginning to tire out. The bandits had called for reinforcements, something that neither Hylian nor Human had foreseen. Ashei had been pretty excited when the back-up bandits charged in to make the fight a little more interesting.

And as much as Link liked a good fight—he did, he really did—he really was rusty and it had been too long since he had fought. He had become a little weaker. A bit of his strength had gone away, along with his drive.

Which was why it was no surprise when a bulblin rode up behind him and clubbed him from the side.

Link went flying off of Epona and landed face-down in the dirt, pain shooting through his body. He would have stood instantly but as soon as he tried his vision blurred and he collapsed again.

The bulblin who had forced Link's dismount now approached the crumpled body, flipping Link with his foot so he was facing the sky. The bandit leapt on top of Link's body and pinned him to the ground.

"How dare you?!" the bulblin spat through the cowl around his chin. "How dare you and this girl come and raid our camp? When we are not prepared, when we are at rest?!" The bandit narrowed his beady yellow eyes. "Say your prayers, Hylian." And with that, the bulblin pulled out a small knife; he lunged—

A blur crossed Link's line of vision, knocking the bulblin from Link's chest. Link glanced over in shock at Ashei, who had taken the bandit by surprise and who now had him cornered between the ground and her readied arrow.

"Don't you dare!" she cried, absolutely livid. "He hasn't fought unfairly and you haven't got the right to kill him!"

The bandit growled and then knocked her bow out of line. He scampered to his feet and lunged at her with his knife. In turn, Ashei pulled out a sword; the knife caught and she pushed the bandit over once more. She threw herself in his direction, sword out, aiming for his heart—

"STOP!" Link shouted, his voice cracking. Ashei and the bandit froze. Link struggled to his feet stumbled over to the quarreling pair. "Don't kill him!" he begged. He started Ashei straight in the eyes. "You _promised_. You _promised _we wouldn't kill anyone. I—" he stopped when he realized that the battle had slowed. Everyone had stopped dead, watching Link and listening to what he had to say.

Even Ashei was taken aback. "You _what_?"

"I don't want to hurt any more of them. I hurt them enough during the… during the Dark Days."

The bandit stared at Link in fear. Link looked back at the bandit and smiled. "You've built a magnificent fortress," he said, referring to the camp. "I once took down an entire camp in the middle of the desert. I have no intentions of doing it again—_believe _me." He turned back to Ashei. "Come on. Let's go."

Ashei gave a brief nod and then they went to mount their horses once more.

"I guess it _did _get boring after awhile," Ashei muttered under her breath.

"Wait!" the bandit's voice sounded from behind them. Link pivoted around on his heel, grasping Epona's reigns tightly.

"What?"

"A debt is owed to Mister…"

"Link," Link clarified.

"Mister Link, you have done me a great service," the bandit said.

A bandit standing nearby spoke up. "Mister Link has spared Mildred's life," he explained.

Link stared in confusion. "Who's Mildred?" he asked.

"I am Mildred," the bandit answered.

Link's eyes widened in shock. "You're a _girl _bulblin?!" he cried, absolutely stunned. He turned to Ashei. "There are _girl _bulblins?!" he repeated.

The bandit looked fairly amused. "Yes," he—no, _she—_answered. "I am female, and I am indebted to you with my life. I must repay you—"

"This oughtta be good," Ashei muttered under her breath.

"—must repay you with servitude."

Ashei broke out into a fit of silent laughter.

"Oh, that really won't be necessary," Link promised.

"But it _is _necessary," Mildred countered. "I must be your personal servant until I am allowed to go free."

Now Link looked seriously uncomfortable. "And when will that be?"

"I can go free once I have in turn saved your life… Master Link."

Link stared at Mildred in discomfort. Then he turned to Ashei, who was still dying of laughter. Then, he turned back to the bulblin.

"And what if I say no?" he asked.

"I will be regarded as highly dishonorable," Mildred explained. "Then I will be punished and shamed for being considered weak."

"Well, this is just great," Link harrumphed, wondering what he had just gotten himself into. He was literally making deals with bulblins—_bulblins—_he had slaughtered countless of their kind during the Dark Days and now one owed him its worthless life.

Great.

"Get on the horse," Link finally grumbled, wondering how he would ever explain to Telma that he was housing a bulblin bandit in the bar. Mildred mounted Epona behind Link and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I hope you'll forgive me for trying to kill you," Mildred begged.

"Yeah, yeah," Link muttered, turning to face Ashei one last time before leaving. She glanced at the two on the horse and wiggled her eyebrows in a terribly suggestive manner.

"I hate you," Link said very clearly, and Ashei just smirked before taking off for Castle Town with Link and Mildred in tow.

…

"Are you _sure _you're not upset about your book?" Ilia asked, sitting at the foot of the bed as Shad attempted to decipher the soiled pages.

Shad sighed in exasperation and placed his journal on the nightstand. "Forget about the damn book," he finally said. "It's important but I would hate to see you fret over it."

"But that's your life's work…" Ilia mourned.

"Don't worry," Shad said. "I'm only nineteen. I've got a lot of life left in me."

Ilia eyed the cast on his leg. "Sure doesn't look like it," she mumbled.

"I've put a lot of work into my research," Shad continued. "I picked up where my father left off. It's his dream, anyway, not mine."

Ilia caught Shad's eye. "Why do you do it, then?" she asked.

"I owe it to him," Shad answered. "I don't want to let him down…"

"You said they died of illness?" Ilia asked.

"Yeah," Shad answered. "A plague went around almost ten years ago. It wiped out a lot of Castle Town."

"I—I never knew that," Ilia stammered.

"It never reached farther than Hyrule Proper," Shad explained. "It's what killed a lot of people, though. Both of Princess Zelda's parents, Auru's wife, my parents, and countless others were killed. And it wasn't just the Hylians and humans, either. It killed off the Zora king, several Goron elders… it was a powerful virus. Nobody could protect themselves against it no matter how hard they tried. You see, it all has to do with the pathogens…." Shad then launched into a long conversation describing viruses that made absolutely no sense to Ilia.

"You should be a doctor," Ilia joked when he had finally finished. "You seem very passionate about the subject."

"Well," Shad said, fidgeting and turning red, "I always thought I might like to be a medic, yes. I find the topic of science fascinating. But I feel like I would be doing my father ill to abandon his dream… he likes history, you see, and so I feel obligated to be passionate on the subject as well. That's why it's so important to me, the research. Because I feel like… like I need to finish what he started. I don't want to fail him." Shad turned to look back out the small window. He had started tearing up as he spoke.

"I'm sorry," Ilia repeated.

Shad gave a watery smile. "It's just a book."

"What I mean to say is that I'm sorry you feel that way. You know," she mused, "my mother liked sewing. She liked needlepoint and poetry and she was always practicing discipline, manners, handwriting… but I don't feel the need to be like her, even if she's dead. I like being outside. I like riding and I like nature. I like adventure and art and horses." She took Shad's hand and squeezed it. "You don't have to live your father's life if it's not what you want, just like I don't have to live my mother's."

Shad shook his head. "I'm afraid you don't understand," he said. "You and I come from very different families and we value very different things. You'll come to find that many people around here—Auru, Ashei, me, even Princess Zelda—we're always careful not to disappoint people. We want to achieve something worth achieving because we want to be appreciated."

Ilia pulled her hand away. "Well, I believe that you've only got one life, and so you should live it the way you want. Because once you die, it's over. Heck, once you _grow up_, it's over. Because you run out of time and options and once you're old you lose all your ambition."

"You've been inflicted with the teenage spark of rebellion," Shad observed.

"You're a teenager, too!" Ilia argued. "Don't tell me _you've _never felt rebellious!"

"Haven't I told you already?!" he countered. "Yes, sometimes I wish I led a different life. _Yes_, I would rather be a scientist than a historian. But it's like I said—people like me, we can't just _be _whatever we want! And neither can you!"

"People can be whatever they want, no matter their age, gender, or their parents!" Ilia decided. "Just look at Ashei! She's a knight, and she's a _girl!"_

"And do you think she always wanted that?" asked Shad, speaking quietly through gritted teeth. "We don't choose our own fate! Our fate chooses us. We can't fight it, there's no such thing as following dreams! We do what we have learned to do and have been instructed to do. So what if I'd like to be a doctor? My fate ordained that I would be a historian, as my father was before me, and his father was before him. I was _given _no choice."

Ilia stared at Shad coldly. "Well I don't _believe _in fate," she said. She turned on her heel to march out of the room.

"Thank you," Shad said quietly. Ilia paused and glanced over her shoulder. "For the food, I mean. Even if you spilled it everywhere. It was a nice gesture."

Ilia rolled her eyes and left. But as she shut the door behind her, a smile formed on her face.

Shad may have been stubborn, but he was far too civil to ever _really _argue with.

Besides, she'd convince him to follow his dreams. She didn't care if it took the rest of her life. She liked him far too much.

**THIS UPDATE. It is so incredibly overdue, please forgive me. I've been so, so busy ever since I got back from Scotland, and I didn't realize how much time had passed since chapter 6. **

**Next chapter: It is the last night in Telma's Bar before Telma returns. Link and the gang decide to throw a wild house party, which leads to a drunk kissing game that could lead to some **_**very **_**awkward situations… Let's just say, Link might never forgive himself for this one.**


	8. Chapter 8

"Not again!"

Ashei glanced up from her spot on the bed as Ilia emerged from the bathroom, slamming the door behind her in disgust. It seemed that her nighttime routine had been disrupted by something unpleasant, to say the least.

"See your reflection?" Ashei asked with a smirk.

"No—hey!" Ilia cried. She crossed her arms with a huff. "I pulled back the shower curtain and _Mildred _was in there taking a bath. Why'd you ever bring her home?"

Ashei raised her eyebrows. "If you think it was my idea, think again. The girl _glued _herself to Link. He felt all bad for her. If it'd been me in his situation, I would have left as quickly as possible, yeah?" She was quiet for a moment. "Besides," Ashei added as an afterthought, "Mildred isn't that bad. She's been cleaning up after us for weeks, now. The inn has _never _been this clean. Telma will be pleased at the change when she gets home."

Ilia sighed. "When _is _Telma coming home?" she asked, sinking down onto her own mattress. "I miss her."

Ashei shrugged, glancing out the window at the moonlit streets. "Um… the day after tomorrow, I think."

"Well, I hope she hurries up," Ilia harrumphed, planting herself under the covers and pulling the quilt up to her chin. "If she's gone for too long, things could start to get crazy."

"Crazy?"

"I—well, I don't know," Ilia stammered. "It's just, Link said the other day that we should throw a wild house party before Telma gets back home because I guess it's been a really long time since he—"

Ashei shot up out of bed. "That's it!" she cried. "A wild house party!"

Ilia looked terribly confused. "What does that mean?"

"I've been trying to find a way to get Link to open up," Ashei explained. "I've been at it for awhile now. He's all secretive, you know? He's loud and obnoxious half the time and the other half of the time he sulks in his room. Anyway, I figured if we could get him really drunk I could find out what he sulks about."

Ilia looked a bit dubious. "Link is a very complicated person," she countered. "I don't think it's a good idea to go fishing for secrets, especially not with him."

"I don't think anything's a good idea," Ashei explained. "That's why I do most of it."

"Can't disagree there," Ilia mumbled.

"A wild house party is _just _what we need," Ashei insisted. "We could fit a hundred people into Telma's Bar, easy. And we can do it tomorrow night. We just need to make sure everything's cleaned up by the next morning. We wouldn't want Telma finding out…"

"This is awful, we're gonna get in so much trouble—"

"Shut up, Ilia," Ashei ordered, putting out the lantern and crawling back into bed. "This is going to be _awesome_."

Ilia's voice sounded from across the room. "Yup," she said, pressing her nose into her pillow and sighing. "We're all _doomed_."

…

Shad stood in the middle of the empty bar, reading aloud from the clipboard in his hand.

"Snacks," he said.

"Check," Mildred answered, who was perched on a crate in the corner.

"Decorations," he continued.

"Check."

"Party hats."

"Check."

"Assorted party games."

"Triple check."

"Hey!" cried Shad as Ashei materialized behind him, swiping the clipboard out of his grasp. "What was that for?!"

"This is _not _how you plan a party," she insisted, tossing the clipboard to the side. "Not this type of party, anyway."

"But I like pin-the-tusks-on-the-bullbo…"

"Do you want it to be pin-Ashei's-foot-on-the-Ginger?"

"What—_me!?"_

"Just let _me_ do the planning," Ashei insisted. Shad rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he said. "But when your party guests are begging for a piñata and you don't have one, don't come crying to _Shad_." He limped off with a _humph_.

"Did you raid Telma's storage shed?" Ashei now asked the little bulbin sitting across from her.

"Yup!" Mildred answered with pride. "Sure did. See all these crates? They're filled with all sorts of stuff."

"You're the best," Ashei muttered in a sort of daze. "I've raised you well." Footsteps sounded behind Ashei and she turned on her heel. "Oh. Hey, Link."

"Hey." Link took a few steps over toward Ashei, scrutinizing the crates. "This is a terrible idea," he muttered.

"I know. It is."

The pair looked up at one another and grinned simultaneously, breaking into laughter.

"The last party I went to was Mayor Bo's 50th," Link admitted. "Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy, but sumo-wrestling isn't really my thing and I spent the entire evening getting pummeled by sweaty gorons."

"Gorons can sweat?"

"Anyway, we oughtta get ready. Mildred spread the word around town this morning… people should be arriving pretty soon." Link glanced at the door in apprehension. "You said Telma would be back in twenty-four hours?"

"Yup. Why?"

Link shrugged. "I just hope no one pisses too high up for us to clean."

…

"Drinks? Drinks? Anything to drink? Ice box is on the far left, go pay it a visit, it's lonely!"

"Why do you insist on getting everyone so drunk?" Shad muttered into Ashei's ear.

"No reason," she answered innocently. A small crowd had already gathered in the bar. They had become quite rowdy already, shouting and singing and taking swigs from their bottles. A few drinks had already been spilled and it hadn't even been an hour since the party started.

"Yeah. Sure. Is it everyone, or someone in particular you're trying to undo?"

"Undo?" Ashei repeated. "You speak so ungracefully, Shad…" she moseyed off through the crowd, leaving the poor scholar by himself.

Someone bumped into Shad from behind. He turned inquisitively. "Who…" His eyes lit up. "Oh, Ilia!"

Ilia looked absolutely lost. "I need your help," she said. Shad's brow knit together.

"What does that mean?"

"I've never been to parties like this before… I'm not from the city, so..."

"Oh," Shad said, catching on. "I see. All right, well, I suppose we can get you settled in." He took her arm and led her over to the bar, where Mildred was serving drinks from atop another stack of crates.

"Two of… uh, anything," said Shad, scratching his head. He had no idea what he was doing, but he'd never admit it. Mildred slid two bottles in their direction.

"One for Master Shad, and another for Mistress Ilia," Mildred chanted, turning to face whoever was next in line.

"Now," Shad continued, "we just, uh… open our drinks… uh, like this… no, like this…"

Shad stared at the sealed bottle in frustration. He tapped it on the corner of the bar a few times, but nothing happened.

"We don't have to drink," Ilia said quickly. She was obviously uncomfortable.

Shad sighed in relief. "Okay," he said. "I suppose we could just sit and talk, if you would prefer that."

"Yes," breathed Ilia. "Yes, please. That sounds much better than, uh… well, whatever _that_ is." She gestured over to the other side of the room, where a drunk man had climbed atop a table and had started to sing.

On the other side of the room, Ashei found Link. She smiled when she saw he had a bottle in his hand. "Good to see you plan to let loose," Ashei said.

Link's mouth twisted to the side. "I guess," he said. "Although, I don't know… I hate to say it, but you're being kind of pushy and suspicious."

Ashei blinked a few times. "Come again?"

"If people don't want to drink, don't make them," Link said. "We're just having a good time…"

Ashei harrumphed. Link was _not _supposed to have common sense at a time like this. She wanted to figure out what his secret was, and she _knew _he had one. He had made it so obvious a few weeks ago when they had gone out for that fight. He had been so fierce about not killing anybody. She _knew _he was hiding something. And she was determined to find out.

It was for his own good, after all.

…

The evening wore on into night. The hour grew later and the bar only continued to fill up with party-goers. Slowly, the crates filled with alcohol emptied out, and the state of the guests became increasingly uncontrollable.

It was almost midnight and things were going well. Ashei was keeping a close eye on Link. They were sitting at a table with a group of three former Hyrulean soldiers that had left service after the dark days ended.

"And myself, well I told myself, well, self, you're never going back there. Uh-uh, no sir-_ee_, there're monsters and ghosts and… and monsters…" one was rambling, probably talking about Hyrule Castle. (Although, who really knew, at this point? Only moments earlier he had been discussing his wife—perhaps he was speaking of home?)

Another former soldier hiccupped. "Know what you mean," he drawled. "There were rats, so many rats in those damned sewers… rats in my shoes, and my clothes, and my hat… ha, ha. Rat in my hat—uh—rat-a-tat-tat. Ha."

They were beyond repair at this point and Link only completed the set.

"Ghost rats," he was saying. "Ghost rats, they climbed all over you with their cold little feet… like getting pinched, only worse, 'cause they're cold."

Ashei was pretty drunk herself but she listened in closely. Link didn't usually talk about Hyrule Castle. This was good, this was very good.

"Only worked when I was a dog—hey, I ever tell you fellas I was a dog? 'Cause I was. A wolf, actually."

"Codswallop!" a guard declared, his head falling forward onto the table. His eyes drifted shut and he let out a loud snore, bottle still in hand.

"It's true, though," Link insisted. He turned to Ashei. "You believe me, right? You believe that I was furry… and, and… I could change. I changed back and forth all the time. Can't change back now, though. I'm stuck as a human. Still a bit dog, though, I think. I've got a strange hankering for meat… Every time someone throws something I wanna fetch it. And I've been burying my wallet. Bad habit. Keep losing track of my rupees…"

Ashei felt her heart drop. Had she gotten Link _too _drunk? She knew there had been some magical component to his adventures, but to morph completely into a dog? Even that seemed a bit odd.

"I liked being a dog. Liked it better than being human, I think. Everything tasted good. And smelled good. I once devoured a trash can, lid and all…"

Yup, he was way too drunk. Ashei was considering giving up when Link continued with something significantly more interesting.

"Maybe I just liked having her around, though."

Ashei turned to face the drunken hero. "Her?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Link, blinking a few times. "Wait, who…? Oh, yeah! Midna."

Now Ashei sat straight up, careful to listen to everything Link was about to say. "Who was Midna?" she asked. Would this be a breakthrough? Was this the first step in solving the puzzle of Link's character? This… Midna?

"Midna was my… favorite," Link answered, obviously a little confused by himself.

"Your favorite what?"

"My favorite everything."

He was drunken and sleepy and for some reason the way he said it broke Ashei's heart. _My favorite everything_. Some girl that Link had known…

"What happened to Midna?" Ashei continued.

"She left," Link said, gripping his bottle in anger. "She left me, but she didn't want to. She had to, because if she stayed… it would just screw everything up."

"Everything?"

"Yeah," Link grumbled. "Everything. Because it would leave Hyrule at risk. Monsters and shit."

"Monsters and shit," Ashei repeated dully.

"She kept me sane, Ashei. She kept me in line. I loved her." He stared at Ashei, blue eyes wide. "I _loved _her," he repeated. "Still love her."

This was it. This was why Link had fallen apart. He had lost this Midna, this girl who he loved and who had kept him in control of himself through his journey. Ashei had always wondered how Link had been able to go on such adventures in solitude.

Now, she understood.

_He was never alone._

Of course, she didn't quite understand how Midna staying would put Hyrule at risk, but she didn't need to know all of the details now. She understood the basics of Link's situation, and that meant a lot already.

It had worked. Her plan had worked.

_Keep talking_, she reminded herself.

"Where did Midna go?" Ashei asked.

"Far. Too far. Can't come back now," Link sighed. "When she left I went back to Hyrule Castle… don't remember much after that. Doc says I was out for weeks…"

"Doc?"

"Doctor Borville," Link clarified. "He treated me in the castle. Zelda was there. She was really good to me… reminded me a lot of Midna, maybe that's why I liked her." Link eyed Ashei curiously. "_You _remind me of Midna… maybe that's why I like _you_."

"I had a girl I loved once," droned the soldier that hadn't fallen asleep. "Don't know what happened to her. I'd give an arm and a leg to have her back, though. She was a beauty, all right. Curly red hair."

"Midna had red hair," Link commented. "She once strangled a man with her hair. Say, Ash, did I ever tell you 'bout the time I got in a fight with a squirrel over a nut? It was a year and a half ago…"

And that was when Ashei was certain the conversation had died.

…

The party had grown out of control. The bar was bursting with people, and Shad was surprised that the building hadn't given out completely. It wasn't built to hold quite this capacity. What had Mildred _promised _that had gathered so many guests?

Ashei appeared beside Shad and Ilia.

"You've got to hear this," she was saying. "I was talking to Link… he's really hammered, and he was rambling about some girl he loved… Midna."

Shad's face lit up in recognition. "Midna?" he said. "Link mumbles that in his sleep all the time! I didn't realize it was a name…"

"He said she left after the dark days. 'Too far to come back' or something. Do you think she… you know… died?"

"I don't know," answered Shad, clearly puzzled. "It's possible. It would certainly explain a lot about Link… I want to know more," the scholar admitted, "but I think it's a bad idea to keep asking. Link's dangerous, and I don't want to pry if it's going to hurt him. But who would know more about Midna that could help us solve the mystery?"

Ashei paused. Then, her eyes widened. "Princess Zelda would know," she realized. "Princess Zelda was there for that last battle. Link said he was hospitalized and that Zelda took care of him for weeks. And Doctor Borville, he was there, too." She gave a short nod. "I'm going to call a meeting, and I'm going to do it soon," she declared. "I'll meet with Zelda and Borville."

"Sounds like a plan—" Shad said.

"Hey, fellas!" A lively party guest bounded in the direction of Ashei, Shad, and the surprisingly quiet Ilia. "We've got a game goin' on in the center of the bar. Good game, too. Come on, join in—" he glanced over Ashei and Ilia— "'Specially you pretty girls, you'll be the best part."

Why a drunk party guest would want two young women in a game didn't make any sense until the puzzled three approached the growing huddle in the middle of the room. They pressed to the front, where a circle had been formed.

"_Spin the bottle?" _Ashei cried in anger as a man and a woman facing each other from opposite sides of the circle reached across and shared a clumsy kiss. Ashei sighed. The purpose of this party was to break into Link's mind, _not _to swap spit with sweaty, wasted idiots.

"Come on, join in!" someone cried, their face cracking into a smile. "It'll be fun!"

"No way," Ashei said stubbornly.

"For the first time ever, I think I'm agreeing with Ashei," Shad decided. "This is just another way of sharing germs, and we all know how quickly disease spreads in the city."

"I _told _you that you ought to be a doctor!" Ilia said.

"Can we _not _talk about that?" Shad protested, maneuvering off to the side. Ilia trailed after him.

"I'm not dropping it," Ilia insisted. "Not until I win."

On the other side of the circle, Link had found Ashei. "C'mon, Ash, join us!" he was saying.

"I said no way. Back off, yeah?"

"You're just _scared_," Link scoffed. "That's not like you, not like you at _all_."

"Maybe not."

"Cucco! You're cucco!" Shouts of _cucco _echoed around the circle until finally Ashei groaned in exasperation.

"Fine!" she cried. "You want to call me scared? I'll prove you all wrong! I'm not scared of anything!" She took her place sitting in the circle. Link plopped down and grinned in triumph. He had known it would work.

Ashei took a swig out of her bottle. "Who's next?" she said.

"I am," a former guard said. There were about ten people in the circle—six men and four women—and so it wasn't very odd that the guard's spin ended up pointing to Ashei.

Ashei sighed. "All right, then," she said, leaning across and planting a forced kiss on the grinning guard's face.

Link laughed at that first kiss. It meant nothing to him. It was actually funny to see Ashei do something like that, to kiss someone. It was so out of character for her.

But then the second man in the circle spun the bottle, and it landed on Ashei again. And this time Link actually _watched_. He watched her lean forward, plant her lips on the other man. He observed her hand as it trailed onto the other man's neck and lingered there for a few seconds, and then cringed as she broke away and breathed a hot gust of air onto the other man's chin.

_Goddesses_, that frustrated him. Something broiled in Link's stomach—anger? Jealousy? The first kiss hadn't affected him. The second one, when he had actually watched it, had. Was it because he _wanted _that?

He tried to shake it off. He did _not _want that, he did _not _want to kiss Ashei, Ashei was his friend and his partner in crime and that would just be so awkward—

Oh, that was _it. _Ashei had spun this time and it had landed on yet _another _man. For the third time that night, Link watched her reach over and kiss someone else.

He was next in line to spin. Angry and out of sorts, he gave the bottle a calculated spin. This bottle was landing on Ashei, dammit, he didn't care if he had to point it that way himself. It pirouetted across the board, a dangerous weapon in the game of love. Link watched it furiously, eyes narrowed, teeth clenched…

"Come here, lover boy."

He hadn't expected Ashei's voice to be that intoxicating and it was actually quite alarming. It was raspy, it was drunk, and he was desperate for her kiss. With a cheer of approval from the crowd, Link tilted his chair forward, drink in hand, and pulled Ashei into him.

Shad broke to the front of the crowd in horror just as Link caught Ashei in a drunk, passionate lip-lock that lasted longer than it should have. Ashei started to pull away and then Link went in for more, probably not realizing exactly what he was doing and definitely not caring. And neither, evidently, did Ashei, whose glass had fallen from her hand and shattered as she reached a shaking hand up to tousle Link's hair…

"Enough of this," Shad finally said, knowing that it was only going to get worse if he didn't stop it. He caught Ilia's eye and with a nod Shad grabbed Ashei's shoulders, Ilia grabbed Link's shoulders, and they wrenched the two apart.

They were both panting and Link's flushed face made it fairly obvious that, unrestrained, he and Ashei could have gone a lot farther than the boundaries of their "friendship" permitted.

After a few seconds, Link's mind cleared substantially and he gaped at Ashei in complete horror, realizing that this action would have consequences. Long, awkward, probably hormonal consequences.

Because until now, he'd never been attracted to anyone like that. He'd never been so urged to just go at it. He'd met a ton of pretty girls—Zelda, Ilia, Midna—but he'd never had any desire to… Oh, _goddesses_. He would never be able to look at Ashei the same way again.

"I have to go," he said, not even wanting to see Ashei's face—writ with shock, obviously—and with that he burst free of the crowd, tripped over the carpet, stumbled to his feet, and disappeared upstairs. He shot down the empty hallway, opened his door, only to find that his bed was occupied, of all things. He took a few steps forward and kicked the two drunken lovers out of his room without a second thought. Then he marched into the bathroom, slammed the door behind him, and stared at his own face in the mirror.

This was bad. This was very, very bad. Didn't this ruin everything? Wasn't this just the first step into another one of Link's all-gone-wrong endeavors? Because he was supposed to marry Ilia, and he was supposed to have a crush on Zelda, and he was supposed to still be desperately in love with Midna. And the truth was, well, up until five minutes ago, that had all been true. But now everything had flip-flopped in a matter of seconds. Ashei hadn't even been _in _the equation until now.

Not to mention the slip he'd had. Ashei knew all about Midna, which was undoubtedly an obstacle. Actually, _everyone _probably knew about Midna at this point, knowing Ashei's tendancy to pry and gossip. Which meant Ilia knew as well, which was a real problem, because he was _technically _supposed to start courting her sooner or later. Wasn't that why Rusl had brought her here?

Link hated being a teenager. He honestly despised it. Romance was weird and confusing. Fairy tales made it seem beautiful but the more Link experienced it the more he realized… love came with a number of unusual and uncomfortable side-effects. Had nobody thought to warn him of _those?_

He made a mental note to thank Shad the next time he saw him. The image of the lovers making out on his bed came to mind and Link realized that, if not for Shad, that very well could have been him right now.

He'd never been so glad to have that dorky scholar around.

**And yet again I wait a few months to post an update. Life takes over, I guess. **

**FINALLY, SOME DEVELOPMENT. This is where the story kind of takes off. In the next chapter: Ashei meets with Princess Zelda and Doctor Borville to further analyze the mystery that is Link. Ilia and Shad attempt to clean up the mess that the party left behind. Link contemplates ways to get Ashei off of his mind. Awkwardness level: 100. Telma's going to have a field day with this one.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Holy Moly, where have **_**I **_**been? This next chapter will be part of an arc, if you please. There will probably be several chapters that are part of one big story; for that reason, if the chapters feel like they don't have much of an ending, it's because these next few are going to play out a bit differently. Um, Never Fear? Thanks for reading.**

It was still dark out when Ashei awoke the next morning. Actually, she never really _awoke_. She had spent the entire night drifting in and out of sleep, body bent in discomfort. For some reason she had been unable to really get comfortable, and whether that was because she was feeling ill from the party or because she had a lot on her mind, she wasn't quite sure. It was probably both.

It had taken a long time to empty the bar of its occupants. After Link disappeared Ashei's objectives for the night disappeared. She was still in complete shock from the disaster that was spin-the-bottle, not to mention Shad and Ilia's reactions to it. Shad had seemed terrified by the whole thing, knowing that Link and Ashei's actions would lead to disaster. And Ilia had been strangely distant after the entire ordeal, something which just added to the layers of questions that Ashei had compiled.

She turned over on the mattress and observed Ilia's silhouette. Ilia riddled Ashei to no extent. Ashei had expected her to be dull and drab, hanging over Link's shoulder at every opportunity. But the farm girl had so far proven herself otherwise. She was quirky, she was fun, and while she undoubtedly loved Link with all of her heart, she had become best friends with Shad as well.

And there was a part of Ilia that Ashei would never admit she admired. She knew the basics; Ilia had lost her memory during the dark days. But even when she was lost, even when her own heart made no sense to her, Ilia's bravery shone through. She had taken care of an old woman in a village overrun by bandits. And when she had found the dying zora boy in the streets, Ilia had done everything she could to save him. Yes, these were stories from a time that had scarred everybody. And Ilia had been no exception.

And that was the part of the girl that Ashei admired. The part that was secretly strong, the part that stood out and shone through the darkness like a single candle. And although Ashei would never, ever confess to it, she was beginning to understand exactly what it was about the farm girl that Telma, Link, and Shad all loved so much.

It was her spirit, so pure and good, that burned like fire but had the tranquility of water.

Ashei sighed, her eyes falling shut. She knew herself to be flawed. She was well aware of her capacity for anger and violence. She was always quick to react, quick to speak without meaning to. She often became frustrated by herself. Her personality was thwarting in every way. And of course the past few hours had been pretty eye-opening, especially concerning Link.

_Link_. Gods, the poor kid. He had been so embarrassed by the prior night. And he had every right to be, of course. He had initiated a kiss that Ashei hadn't wanted. And she had to admit, while the kiss was… _interesting_, to say the least, it was also embarrassing and clumsy and she really didn't want any of it. The last thing she wanted was to get tangled up in Link's love life, and that would mean avoiding him for a really long time.

Ashei passed a few more minutes in silence, trying to fall back to sleep. She soon realized, however, that rest was futile and decided that she might as well get up. She dressed in her burgundy tunic and whisked her hair into a ponytail, strapping on a belt, boots, and attaching a dagger to her hip—as always. She had a leather bag that she swung across her shoulder, dropping in a few notepads and quills, just in case she needed to write anything down.

Ashei stole across the room as quietly as she could so that she wouldn't wake Ilia. However, just as her fingertips were resting on the doorknob, a voice stopped her.

"Ashei?"

Ashei froze in place. Then, she sighed. "Ilia? You're up?"

"Yeah. I've been awake for awhile." The blankets slid from the thin farm girl's shoulders as she sat up, drawing her knees up to her chest and meeting Ashei's gaze.

"I don't like what you're doing," she whispered.

"What does _that _mean?" Ashei asked accusingly.

"Snooping, I mean," Ilia was saying. "It's really rude. You're invading Link's privacy, trying to find out all of his secrets... I think you should just leave him alone. I really think you're going to unearth a real mess if you don't stop soon."

"And why do you say that?" Ashei asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I said it already... Link's a really complicated person. He gets hurt easily."

Ashei let out a slow sigh. "I know," she finally said. "I agree."

"You- what?"

"You're right," Ashei continued. "This _is_ going to unearth a real mess, and it _is_ going to hurt Link, but it has to be done. Things have to get worse before they can get better." She took a few steps toward Ilia. "Link's got a lot bottled up. I know what that's like because I'm the same way. _I've_ got a lot of anger that I have to suppress and if we don't help Link, he'll just stay that way."

"But what if he gets upset? What if he tries to hurt someone?"

"Then at least he won't be fighting himself!" Ashei argued. She paused. "I don't want him turning out like me."

Ilia fell silent, perplexed by that last statement. What did that mean? Ashei made to leave, but Ilia cut in just as Ashei opened the door to go.

"Ashei?"

"What?"

"You didn't want to be a soldier, did you?"

Ashei paused. "No," she answered sternly, "I didn't."

And then she slammed the door shut behind her.

…

Hyrule Castle was prestigious; it was pompous; it was filled with haughty nobles and haughtier servants, each occupant thinking himself more important than the others.

Within the stone walls of there was but a single humble soul. And that soul belonged to Princess Zelda.

"Ah, good morning, Auru," she greeted, descending a staircase into the entrance hall and catching sight of her old tutor. He was inspecting a new marble statue with a rather bizarre expression on his face.

"Your Majesty," he addressed, "may I ask what inspired you to invest in these projections of… well…" His brow furrowed. "Um, Princess, if I may… these statues, they're… well…" he turned to her, frowning decisively. "They're in the nude."

"I think they're cute," Zelda argued, brushing it off as if this was the millionth time she'd heard the same comment. She took a few steps closer and shook hands with Auru.

"How have you been?" she asked. "I hear that it's your last day in our beloved Hyrule Castle."

"Alas," Auru affirmed, "my departure is this afternoon. I must thank you for your generosity. Your library is extensive and my research was quite full, quite vast, if I do say so myself. In fact—"

"Your Highness!" a voice cut in from an adjacent corridor. Armor clanged as a soldier turned the corner, jogging in the direction of the princess and Auru.

"Your Highness," he repeated, "there is a woman at the gates requesting an audience. She claims to be Ashei of Snowpeak, and she demands immediate consultation."

Auru's face hardened. "Oh, no," he said darkly. Zelda appeared rather puzzled.

"Oh, no?" she repeated.

"Oh, no," Auru clarified.

"Say no more," the princess sighed. She turned to the guard. "May I inquire as to the exact nature of this… consultation?"

"The woman has stated that such matters are confidential and are to be kept strictly between Your Majesty and herself."

Zelda's shoulders slackened considerably. She had a certain aversion to secrets.

"Very well," she declared. "Let her in." She remembered Ashei; she had met her before. She remembered almost mistaking her for a man, for her brusque nature and manly swagger were enough to confuse anybody.

The soldier disappeared around the corner. A few moments later, Ashei appeared with the soldier in tow. Apparently, she had no patience for an escort. She approached the princess without so much as a bow.

"Your Highness," she said, and it was clear that she disliked the term, "we need to speak privately."

Auru gave a small cough that sounded exceptionally like _"Bow!" _Ashei started at the statement, and then gave the slightest hint of a bow in response. It was clear that hierarchy did not suit her well, and Zelda was reminded very much of Midna in the gesture.

"Please," Zelda said, fully aware of the bitterness in her voice, "follow me." She was halfway up the staircase when she realized that Ashei was not following her. She turned around to find Ashei staring shamelessly at one of the nude statues.

"Poor man," was all Ashei said. "I've been a soldier for ten years and I've never seen a guy with such a small—"

Auru coughed loudly and pushed Ashei up the stairs before she could finish the sentence, and Zelda expressed her thanks through a grateful nod of the head.

...

"Never, in all my years living in the city, have I experienced the delight that is a urine stain eleven feet high," declared Shad as matter-of-factly as he could.

It was about eight in the morning. Ilia had slunk downstairs in a bathrobe declaring angrily that Link was sleeping off a hangover, meaning that she and Shad would have to clean the party-wrecked bar all by themselves.

"What about Mildred?" Shad had asked when Ilia brought him the bad news.

"She's sleeping off a hangover, too," Ilia declared, which Shad honestly found more confusing than disturbing.

"Well, _now _what do we do?!" cried Ilia, referring to the urine stain on the wall.

"Clean it, I guess," Shad answered. He sighed. "But how to reach it?"

Ilia paused. "You could climb on my shoulders," she said, to which Shad answered that he was not very good at climbing women, causing Ilia to blush quite thoroughly, and spurring a great deal of confusion in Shad.

"What?" he asked when her face went beet red. "What? What is it?"

"Maybe we should just try climbing up there on some of the empty crates," Ilia theorized, and Shad, quite upset at having embarrassed her, stormed off to retrieve them. He dragged a heavy wooden crate to the other side of the room, wet a dishrag that he thought might do the trick, and then went to reach for the stain. As he did so, however, his foot crashed through the lid of the crate and got stuck. He tried to pull it out, lost his balance, stumbled over, and ended up knocking over a cheap wooden table. It would have ended there, but instead the table, which was round, rolled just enough to knock into another stack of crates, which toppled over, causing a dozen wine bottles to roll in a perfect line across the room, spilling as they went.

Shad sat up wearily, shook his head clear of confusion, and then, having come to his senses, gaped at the destruction he had spurred. Then _his _face turned red.

"Oh, Goddesses," was all he said, and his face fell into his palms. "My head is stuffed with cotton, isn't it?" he declared. "I'm such a fool…"

A few seconds later, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Ilia kneeled down beside him, and he didn't dare to look up at her.

"You are _not_," he heard her say quietly, and he liked that she said it quietly, even though there was nobody else in the bar. "You are the best, brainiest man I've ever met."

Shad didn't know why Ilia had become so deep all of a sudden but it really did make him much happier to hear her say that. He'd been called smart before, and intelligent, and bright, but never _brainy_. And when Ilia called him _brainy _it made him smile just the smallest bit, because who else would think to use the word _brainy? _And who else would consider climbing on each other's shoulders to clean off a pee stain? And who else would like that he couldn't open a bottle of beer, and who else would think it was silly that he didn't know how to fish, and who else, when he was injured, would sit at his bedside for hours simply because she liked his company? Who else, besides Ilia of Ordon, would go on for days about how Shad should be a doctor because he wanted to, and because she knew, in her heart, that he was _brainy _enough for it?

So he just picked his head up out of his palms and smirked just the tiniest bit, looking her dead and the eye and stating in the brainiest way he could, "I calculate a 100% chance that Telma will _not _be pleased."

…

"My private study is this way," the princess declared, leading Ashei down one final corridor and into a finely decorated room. A perfect wooden desk sat before a set of arched windows, the afternoon sunlight streaming in between the perfectly styled curtains. A clock on the wall ticked rhythmically in the otherwise quiet room as Zelda shut the heavy door behind her, leading Ashei to a chair placed before her desk. Ashei sat down facing the windows, and Zelda sat down opposite her, and then the princess folded her hands and waited for the girl-soldier to speak.

"It's about Link," Ashei said immediately, and Zelda's face fell.

"I should have known," she remarked, and her eyes fell shut. After a few seconds, she opened them, but she kept them downcast. "The last I saw of him, he did not seem well. I suppose, in retrospect, that it was nerves. It's not very often that a commoner requests a matrimonial union with a princess. But you were there… yes, I should have known that you would be strung with jealousy. I knew that you were interested in him just as he was interested in me, and that such a union would upset you at the core."

The two women stared at each other blankly for a few seconds, and then Ashei spoke.

"Your Highness," she said openly, "what the _hell _are you talking about?"

"I rejected Link's proposal of marriage a few months ago," Zelda clarified. "You were there. You accompanied him, and I could tell that you were—"

"I'm not in love with Link!" Ashei countered. She almost smirked. "Believe me, if I were in love with him, the kid'd be damn happy. No offense, Your Highness, but he's kind of really over you. Listen," she said, "I'm not here to talk about something stupid like that. That's not important. I'm here because I need you to tell me everything you know about Link and the Dark Days."

Zelda shot up in stature, obviously shocked by Ashei's request. "I beg your pardon," was all she said, not used to being treated this way but not exactly minding it, either.

"Something happened toward the end of the Dark Days that screwed Link up in the noodle," Ashei spelled out. "In case I wasn't clear, I want you to tell me what it was, yeah?"

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to begin—"

"Fine," Ashei said, knowing full well that it was too early to be growing impatient, but losing patience all the same. "I'll begin. The Dark Days ended about eight months ago, yeah? So that means that I met him about ten months ago. Now, when I met Link," Ashei said, standing up and beginning to pace, "he was a great guy. Very virtuous, great bout of courage, probably the stupidest human being on the face of the earth. But he was genuine, thoroughly genuine, and I knew that right down to the core he had his heart in what he did. And he smiled, always smiled when he saw us, eyes sparkling and chest swelling with pride, like he knew what he was doing was great. He was exhilarated. He was saving the world and we—the group and I—were watching him do it."

"I don't see how this ties into—"

"Then, when Hyrule was restored to peace, he disappeared for a month. Right off the face of the earth. Things started returning to normal, except the Link we'd come to know and love over the course of two months wasn't around. We don't know where he went. And then all of a sudden, a month later, he just entered the bar one day and ordered a drink. And we did some catching up, and all he said was that he'd been away for a bit. And he seemed empty. Like he was a shell of who he'd been before. Polite—yeah, real polite, but he didn't care a bit about any of it."

Zelda had grown quiet. When Ashei paused to see if the princess had an input, she just shook her head.

"Go on."

"By then, Telma had done some renovations. She'd added ten new boarding rooms upstairs, so the group and I decided to move in. I took a room, Shad took a room, Auru took a room. And then Link decided one day that he wanted to move in, too, so we dragged an extra bed into Shad's room, and that was it. The deal was sealed, and Link lived with us then on out.

"Except he still seemed really weird. Sometimes he was drawn and quiet. Other times he was a little more outgoing. We thought maybe he was in a bit of shell shock or something. We talked about it a lot—Rusl and Telma and Shad and I. Rusl had known Link since he was a kid and I guess Link was typically humble and really funny, and a lot of that was missing. Then, after another month or so, Link started really opening up. And he got loud, and he cracked jokes all the time, and he laughed at things that were inappropriate… we really thought he was changing. And then he took an interest in you, and we thought, well, good, he's improving. He wants to be social. And then we took a trip here, and he meant to ask you out to coffee, but he—uh, well, slipped—and you ended up kicking him out—"

"I did no such thing," Zelda interrupted. "I very politely declined his offer of marriage. I have taken a vow to the throne, and reject such petty things as marriage—"

"Yeah, yeah," Ashei said, much to Zelda's distaste. "Point is, Telma must've felt really bad because she thought Link was finally getting better, so she invited Link's childhood friend Ilia. Which sucked. Sucked thoroughly, because that meant I'd have to room with her, and she's a girl—a real girl, a girly girl—"

"And you were jealous because you thought Link might prefer a girly girl over a woman like yourself?"

Ashei paused in her rant, actually taking Zelda's words into consideration for once. "Well, maybe," she remarked. "What would you know about it, anyway?" she asked skeptically, wondering suddenly whether she could get some dirt on the "chaste" princess' love life.

Zelda just shook her head, freeing Ashei of her suspicions with a smirk. "Just because I've taken a vow to chastity doesn't mean that I haven't fallen in love."

Ashei's eyes widened. "With _who?"_

"Never mind _with who_," Zelda said, brushing Ashei's comment away with a wave of the hand. "Please excuse my interruption—it was highly unnecessary of me to accuse you of such things. Continue, if you don't mind."

"Okay. Anyway, Ilia showed up a few days later, and she and Link—who I'm _not _in love with, by the way—really hit it off. Which makes sense, I guess. I don't know, he just seemed really happy around her. And then he started getting better exponentially, going outside all the time, taking trips out of Castle Town for once, interacting with us more. It's like he came back to life or something. So I figured that it might be a good time to finally figure out what's wrong with him, since he's not ill anymore. So I kind of got him really drunk—"

"You _what?!"_

"And forced him to talk. And he did talk. A lot."

"About?"

"…Midna," Ashei finished, and Zelda's eyes widened.

"Oh," she said quietly. "I see." Now she stood up as well, pacing to the other side of the room and turning to face out of the window. "Midna was Link's companion during his travels throughout Hyrule. I think she kept him grounded. She was very loud, very brusque—you remind me of her."

"Link said that, too," Ashei muttered.

"Did he? I'm not surprised. He must think about her endlessly." The princess turned to face Ashei, frown widening. "He loved her," Zelda declared. "With all his heart, I think. And when their journeys together came to an end, the pair had to part ways. You see, Midna was from a parallel world—the Twilight Realm. Are you familiar with the nature of their world?"

"Auru's talked about it some," answered Ashei. "I know the basics. The two worlds were connected by a mirror, and that's how Hyrule fell under its curse. But the mirror was broken, I thought, to stop it from ever happening again—" Her jaw dropped just the slightest bit. "Oh," Ashei said. "Midna, she—she was from there, wasn't she? She was from the Twilight Realm."

"Losing her likely spurred the depression that followed the dark days," Zelda explained. "It was probably his breaking point. He fought through countless battles in his journey to save Hyrule, but each was done with Midna at his side. Then he fought Ganondorf, and although it affected him mentally, he had Midna to keep him grounded. To keep him sane, so to speak. Then, when she left, he was on his own. Suddenly, he had to cope with the exact depth of what he had done—and I think the voices in his head got to him after awhile."

Ashei had grown quiet. When she next spoke, her voice was low. "You know something. Tell me what you know," she ordered, and Zelda gave a slow nod as she turned from the window and looked Ashei in the eye.

"You are his friend," she began, "and I will entrust you with this information with the faith that you will not use it to spread rumors. This information is for your ears only. I am the princess of Hyrule and if such news were to get out, it would be implausibly problematic. Do you understand?"

Ashei gave a slow nod.

Zelda nodded and exhaled slowly. She kept her eyes downcast as she spoke. "After the Dark Days ended and Midna left, Link fell incredibly ill. He was injured from that final battle with Ganondorf—does he ever speak of it? No? I didn't think so. Of course there were battle wounds—minor head trauma, and of course injuries to speak of… if you want the details, I would suggest that you consult Doctor Borville on the Western Thoroughfare. He will be able to tell you more about Link's condition."

"Condition?"

"Link," Zelda explained, "is mentally unstable."

Ashei paused for a second. "Yes," she agreed flatly. "Yes he is."

"I do not say these things in jest," the princess continued. "Doctor Borville is more educated on the subject than I, but I can tell you this… after Midna left for the Twilight Realm and left us all behind, Link fell very, very ill. Fearing the worst, the castle staff and I took him in, housing him in the castle infirmary under the hopes that he might heal. Instead, things only worsened. He fell into a pit of depression, and for weeks I thought he might never climb out of it. He was sick, too—headaches, nausea, bruises—and to add to it all, he was plagued with nightmares… some of the worst I've ever heard of. Monsters flocked his dreams, Ashei. And all he did was complain that he couldn't kill them… all night he moaned in his sleep. The number of times he cried aloud that the blood was drowning him—" The princess stopped short and her eyes fell shut. "It was a very difficult time for us all," she finally said.

Ashei was quiet for a long time after that. Then she stood up and moseyed over to a shelf, fiddling with a ceramic dish as she tried to find words. When she found them, they were like bruises.

"So Link was dying?" she finally asked.

"Yes," Zelda answered. "He was."

Another bout of silence followed. Ashei let go of the dish and then turned to Zelda, resting her hands on the back of the chair.

"Has he stopped?" she questioned quietly.

"Stopped what?" answered the princess.

"Dying."

"I don't know," Zelda answered. "Has he?"

Ashei just shook her head. "No," she answered slowly, the words coming out broken and numb and painfully real. "No, Your Highness. I don't think he has."

And then she turned on her heel and fled the room, wondering as she went how Doctor Borville might feel about making a house call that afternoon.

Not that she would give him any choice.

**End Part 1? The next chapter continues with the same arc as Ashei meets with Doctor Borville, Ilia and Shad keep trying to clean the bar, and Link thinks over recent events while loafing off a hangover… well, maybe a little more than that. More will be revealed on Link's inner conflict…**

**In other news, I'd really like to see who's still reading. If you've read this far and would like to see further, faster updates, please let me know! Honestly, I just want to see who I've got in my audience. I may or may not base the rapidity of my updates off of the quantity of reviews… I know that's kind of terrible of me…**

**But I digress. Thanks so much for your amazing patience, and I hope you're looking forward to seeing this continue!**


	10. Chapter 10

Head throbbing, sick in the stomach, eyes sore… Link pushed himself up off of the mattress, muscles achy and slow, world bright and blurry and somewhere else completely. It was painful, tiring, the sheets were soiled, his skin was sweaty, and he could hear the blood rushing through his ears as his heart struggled to keep up.

Something tickled at his forehead. Curious, he reached up and plucked it from the skin. Shad had stuck a note there sometime this morning. The writing swirled in Link's vision, he strained to read the writing but it was just too blurry… after a few moments, Shad's untidy scrawl came into focus.

If you can read this, you survived yourself!

Oh. Oh. It took him a minute, and then last night's memories came rushing back. A raging party, bursting, colorful recollections of Midna that he'd thought were months behind him, and the most fantastically intense kiss he'd ever had with someone who scared him to death.

He crumpled up the note and flopped back on the pillow, regretting it immediately as pain swam up his spine and into his head, douching away the memories as his head throbbed from the impact. He knew for certain exactly three things:

1: Last night had been the most bizarre night since he'd moved in at Telma's.

2: He'd almost gotten laid. Key word: Almost.

3: He was going to regret it for the rest of his life.

The pain dissolved into the exhaustion, and Link shifted onto his side, dragging the quilt with him as sleep pulled him under again.

* * *

_…He approached the rickety wooden stack of shelves warily. A black curtain, thrown atop the shelf, veiled the contents of each shelf, and Link rested a hand on it… it was dry and old, patched, threadbare, smelled of dust and of death… at first he wondered why, and when he pulled the curtain from the shelf it slid with grace, raising a trail of dust as it fell, the folds stacking like ripples beside Link's feet…_

_…Horror took hold of him as the shelves came into view… all bottles, wine bottles, beer bottles, whisky bottles, rum bottles... each corked and preserved and labeled… labeled with names. 'Darknut.' 'Bokoblin.' 'Bulblin.' 'Zant.' 'Ganondorf.'_

_…The earth rumbled under his feet and suddenly a bottle tipped, falling into the next one, and that into the next, each falling off of the shelves, at his feet, blood gushing and gurgling and sloshing out of the bottles, pooling at his feet, more bottles falling, blood surging out as it rose like a tide, tickling his ankles, and his thighs, and his hips as it rose, sticking to his exposed skin, drying there, cracking there, staining it red, and stinging the whole time like acid..._

_...He turned back in terror, and Telma was there, watching and shaking her head..._

_"You said they'd help me forget!" he cried, his voice muffled as the blood rose, splashing and bubbling around his chest, his shoulders his neck. "You said these bottles would help me forget!" And he thought desperately of the wine, the beer, the whisky, the rum she'd promised him..._

_Telma just sighed. "Don't yell at me," she said. "You're the one who put them there..."_

_...He tried to scream, he opened his mouth, but the blood rushed in and his screams turned to bubbles as the red took over..._

* * *

His eyelids repelled each other and he woke up gasping for air, eyes wide, his vision clouded around the edges. The sheets were crumpled underneath each of his fists, and he assumed he had grabbed them in fear sometime during his nightmare. It was becoming steadily lighter outside and he cursed the brightness, white-hot and blinding against the hangover. He pulled his pillow over his head and closed his eyes again, and he fell asleep before his heart could stop pounding in his chest.

* * *

_...He thought it was awfully funny that there were two suns in the sky for a change. He knew that some planets had two moons, but he'd never seen two suns, and it really was quite bizarre. They were level with one another, each perfectly round in shape, the warm, golden hue glowing against the pale sky..._

_...It all changed when they vanished. For just a split second, they compressed into thin lines, too thin to see... and then they widened again, perfect circles... And then they vanished again. And reappeared. And vanished. And then he realized they were blinking. Blinking like eyes. They were eyes..._

_"...You didn't really think you'd left me behind, did you?" asked the sky, and it split into a familiar smile... "You didn't really think you could forget me? Forget both of us?"_

_He stumbled back in shock. It was Zant's voice..._

* * *

His eyes flung open, and he blinked furiously, trying to get those devilish yellow eyes out of his head. They wouldn't vanish, like dully glowing orbs that had been branded onto the backs of his eyelids every time he blinked...

Stupid, stupid, he thought, wiping the sweat from his hairline. "Zant's" words ran through his mind... You didn't really think you'd left me behind... did you?

Did I? Link asked himself. And he wasn't really sure. He'd been trying to forget... Telma had said he'd forget...

Frustrated with himself for believing a vision eight-months dead, he pulled the pillow closer to his head, sighing angrily, head still throbbing, skin still sweating, aching, tired to the bone... almost wondering if he might suffocate...

* * *

_...Bulblins, everywhere he looked... waves of them, stretching out for miles, all shouting his name in a chorus of reverence... O Master Link, Hero of our people... we owe you our lives, now and forever... indebted for the rest of our days... it is our honor, our duty, to serve you... Master..._

_...Mildred was out there. She stood out among the rest, smiling in joy... but where were they standing? He stepped down for the pedestal, feeling terribly exposed, and slowly pushed the bulblins to the side... gradually, a space cleared where the bulblins had been worshipping him only moments before... and he saw the land for what it was, a graveyard, each little grave inscribed with the names of the bulblins he had killed... and still, they owed him their lives, simply because he had spared them in the game of war..._

* * *

He tried to push away the quilts, tried to get up, no more dreaming he told himself, and yet he couldn't... sleep drugged him again, and pulled him under...

* * *

_...He gazed out at Castle Town, colorful and prosperous, at Kakariko, bustling with trade, at Ordon, pristine and joyful... his eye turned on Hyrule Field, vast and majestic, on Lake Hylia, serene and proud, on Faron Woods, teeming with life, seen and unseen... And then he turned to the princess, who stood strong and beautiful beside him, watching the world spin below them..._

_And she said, "Look at this world we built together."_

_Then he heard a scream... it was Midna's cry, for that voice he would recognize anywhere... his blood boiled at the outcry, he had to save her, for he would do anything for her..._

_And so he drew and brandished his sword once more, assuming the role of the hero, desperate to find Midna and save her and then be with her, be with her simply because that was how things were meant to be... he sallied forth, braving Castle Town, and striking down the hoards of beasts the tried to block his path. He traveled across Hyrule Field, driving out the demons there with the bite of his blade... he traveled through forests, up mountains, through deserts, felling each and every creature that tried to keep him from saving her..._

_Finally, he found himself upon the highest mountain peak, for her screams had drawn him there... but instead of finding Midna, he found only Ganondorf, who smiled to him and beckoned for him to stand at his side... he did..._

_Ganondorf gestured out to Hyrule. He acknowledged Castle Town, stained with blood and reeking of death; he acknowledged Kakariko, slain, now, by the slice of Link's blade; he acknowledged Lake Hylia, whose waters had turned red; and then he acknowledged the Faron Woods, but it was devoid of life, now..._

_And Ganondorf said, "Look at this world we built together..."_

* * *

"LINK! Wake up!" somebody cried, and his head throttled with pain as the earth shook aroudn him. Slowly, Link came to his senses, trying to recover from the dream and failing altogether. Ilia and Shad were standing beside him, each of them eyeing him with deep concern.

"Are you okay?" Ilia finally asked, her voice meek. "You were talking in your sleep-"

"Shouting, more like," Shad specified.

"Yelling your lungs out," Ilia continued.

"Like, screaming bloody murder... tears and everything," Shad finished.

For a second, Link didn't respond. He just watched his friends, and waited for his heart beat to slow down, clutching his pillow to his chest, and there was horror in his eyes... all he could see was a bloodstained Hyrule, Zant's yellow eyes, a graveyard full of those who revered him for killing their kin...  
His stomach lurched and he threw himself forward, vomiting onto the sheets. He hacked everything out, head throbbing, swearing he was going blind... and when the sensation had passed, he felt surprisingly better.

He found himself in Ilia's arms, and Shad was helping him, too, and they stablilized him, leading him into the bathroom. He was shaky, but felt lighter, felt actually all right for the first time that day.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Ilia was saying, and Shad was murmering in agreement., saying that there was nothing to worry about, that Link was like this every time he was hungover, that this wasn't the first time, and not to panic... it was true. They dragged Link into the washroom, and stripped him bare, and Link admired that neither Ilia nor Shad blushed at the sight. And then they forced him into the shower, where he stood in half a daze, shoulders sloped, appreciating the hot water as it scorched his shoulders, running down his back, and his legs, and pooling at his feet before escaping down the drain. Ilia helped him wash, and Shad prepared a clean outfit, because Link had slept in his tunic and had soiled it overnight. Then they helped him out and dried him off, scrubbing his teeth and his tongue because his breath still smelled of alcohol. Shad gave him a cotton shirt and pants to borrow, and they helped him out of the washroom, and gave him something to eat, and then more to eat because he couldn't believe how starving he was...

He was only paying half-attention to what they were doing because the whole time he was so caught up with the voices in his head, the ones he'd thought had finally stopped, the voices that kept reminding him what he had done, and the look in the eyes of the dying, and the feeling of blood drying on his hands and his wrists and under his fingernails, and staying there, dying the skin red. And he cursed those voices because he'd been so sure that they'd finally left, and wondered where Ashei was, and remembered that he kissed her, and realized suddenly that he didn't care anymore.

Ilia and Shad stayed with him for a long time after that, caring for him with such gentleness and patience, not asking too many questions because they knew the value of privacy. And after awhile he just turned to them, because he had thought of something, and wanted to know what they thought in return.

"Have you ever fancied," he muttered, "that I may have been on the wrong end of the sword?"

"What?" the other two asked quietly, their voices coated with concern.

"I deserve to have died," he clarified. And his voice cracked. And he flopped over, and Ilia and Shad caught him, and he cried into their chests for a long time after that, and wondered how he'd ever live without them.

**This one's a little darker. Hope that doesn't bother you. I want to thank you for your continued support. Yes, you. You're wonderful. :P**

**Review?**


	11. Chapter 11

The western thoroughfare of Castle Town was famous for two things: Doctor Borville, and crime. The fact that Borville had set up office in the middle of the slums- and they _were_slums- was something that puzzled most everybody. After all, Borville treated the wealthy, not the poor. And he was undoubtedly surrounded by poverty.

The houses here were small and cramped together, crates and barrels of imports- from clothing to weapons to foodstuffs- packed along the streets. Clotheslines hanging between houses displayed laundry halfway-dried, the lines criss-crossing each other as they journeyed from one window to the next. Most of the windows were open to let in the last of the summer air, and the sounds that came from inside the houses were of a wide variety; a dog barking, a child crying, a husband yelling at his wife. Smells came in a wide variety as well: from spices to sweat to perfumes, each house smelled different, sounded different, and probably felt different. The people here were poor, were dirty, were sturdy, were cold; Ashei supposed, as she walked purposefully down the street, that she admired them.

She rounded a corner just in time to dodge a tin can falling from a balcony above. She glanced up; a young child's arm was dangling over the edge, and for a second, Ashei was confused. A few moments later, a middle aged woman with a square jaw and wide shoulders came marching out, her apron clutched in both fists. She picked up the can irritably. Then, she turned to Ashei.

"Do forgive my son, miss. He's been aiming at soldiers all day- must have mistook you for one, the way you're dressed."

Ashei glanced down at her tunic and the array of weapons she wore with it. She could understand why the child had mistaken her for a knight, although the purpose behind it puzzled her.

"Why has he been aiming at soldiers?" she asked. The woman's jaw tightened.

"You haven't heard?" she asked. "There are soldiers going about Hyrule, ridding it of unfit leaders."

"Oh," Ashei said, and the information came rushing back into her head. "That's right, I remember, now. Yeah, they tried to take out the shaman in Kakariko village a few months back."

"Is that so?" the woman mused. "I'm not surprised. They brought the Zora prince in for questioning two weeks ago and nobody's heard from him since."

Ashei recalled young Prince Ralis; she had met him during the dark days. "He's young," she said, shaking her head, "but there's nothing untrustworthy about him."

"So you say," the woman answered, shaking her head slowly. "They will find something, I am sure of it. Evidence has risen concerning the Goron leader- perhaps you have heard of him..."

"I have," Ashei answered, and she thought suddenly of Darbus. Ilia, Link, and Shad all had history with Darbus, and although Ashei herself hadn't met him, she'd heard magnificent stories concerning the great goron.

"Word is that he was possessed by dark magic during the dark days," the woman sighed, and Ashei frowned.

"But magic-" she remarked, and her words got caught in her throat. "They don't really believe that, do they? Magic only exists in legend..." her frown intensified as she remembered Link's remark that he had transformed into a wolf. She knew that there were SOME supernatural elements to the world; the Twilight Realm, for example. Or the Oacca City of which Shad was so fond. But these were not the result of magic, these made up the very essence of Hyrule; such things were science, were law. But the more she thought about it, and the more others spoke of it, the more plausible it became... WAS there magic in the world? True magic? What about the case that had surrounded Hyrule Castle during the dark days? Or the spirit's spring? The case she had brushed off as an illusion, a construction of the light; the spirit in Lake Hylia's spring surely didn't exist... Did it?

Her head started spinning and she balanced on a crate for support. She recalled a rumor that Link had fought a dragon- but that was just a rumor, wasn't it? ...Had Link really fought a dragon?

She had always brushed off sorcery and religion as explanations for what science hadn't yet covered. Until now, she had been exclusively atheist.

Could it be that she was wrong?

The woman was giving her a strange look.

"Miss, are you all right?"

"Do you believe in magic?" Ashei asked abruptly. The woman seemed taken aback.

"Well- sometimes, yes. There is magic to this world- are you saying you don't?"

Ashei blinked a few times. "I'm suddenly not sure anymore," she answered. Another can came crashing down. The woman groaned.

"Albie!" she cried, craning her neck toward the balcony. "Cut it out, I say! She's not a soldier!"

"I don't mean to snoop," Ashei mused, "but why does he- why does Albie, I mean-"

"Why does he care?" the woman finished, and Ashei nodded. "He cares because-" here, she halted. "Miss... I don't know whether I can trust you."

"Why not?" asked Ashei. "I'm not trying to snoop. I don't know who you are, and frankly... well, I don't really care. It's Hyrule I care about, not you, yeah?"

"You invest yourself quite heavily in the welfare of Hyrule for a girl that's not a soldier."

"You can say that again," Ashei remarked, and the woman sighed.

"My husband... the boy's father... was a high-ranking official on the council of Princess Zelda only a month ago. But they discovered evidence- you see, it was for Her Majesty's own good, you must understand that... but it was technically illegal. They thought he was poking around in her personal affairs- he found sketchy things, too, very sketchy... I shouldn't relay them to you..."

Ashei blinked a few times. "I'm afraid you're not making very much sense," she finally said. The woman let out a heavy sigh.

"While he was working in the castle, my husband read all of Her Majesty's mail before it arrived on her desk. He wanted to make sure that she wasn't being threatened. But he found private information regarding the princess that I'd rather not relay to you. You see, the princess was behaving in a way that... well, it's really not our place to discuss it. But in the end, they decided my husband wasn't to be trusted. He lost his job, the money ran out, and now we're here, rupee-less, and with nowhere else to go."

"Who's behind all of this?_" _asked Ashei. "You mean the soldiers? Who's the one weeding out the leaders they don't trust?"

"It's a select group of soldiers. They have yet to identify themselves to the public- even my husband didn't know who they were."

Ashei clamped her lips together in thought. "Where are they getting the authority to do this, though?" she asked. "There's no way Zelda approves of their actions."

"I haven't the foggiest what Her Majesty approves of and disapproves of. All I know is that if she's not careful, she'll be their next target. And the last thing we need is another war over the throne of Hyrule."

This hit Ashei hard. "That's impossible," she said quietly. "Listen, I don't like Zelda much- uh, don't repeat that- but she's a good leader, and kicking her off the throne would be a stupid idea, yeah? Kicking out any of these leaders is a stupid idea. Are you _sure _you don't know who's issuing these orders?"

"It's like I said, miss," the woman answered. "None of us have got a clue. The best we can do is hope that it will stop soon... I would hate to see the kingdom plagued by anarchy."

"Couldn't agree more," Ashei said, a third and final can bouncing off of her shoulder and landing next to her feet.

"That's it!" cried the woman, fuming, and she drew inside the house to go scold her boy.

…

By the time afternoon rolled around, Link was fast asleep in his bed, so Ilia and Shad drew back downstairs to finish cleaning the bar. Ilia attended to the dishes, and Shad collected garbage into a bin, and they didn't speak a word for most of it.

When the bar was almost clean, Ilia finally spoke up.

"I really hate Ashei for doing that to Link."

Shad glanced at her. "You mean making him drink?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ilia answered. "I told her it was a bad idea, and I was right. She's making a mess, and she doesn't even care. Does she _ever _care?!" she continued, pounding her fist suddenly on the bar. Shad's eyes widened, surprised that Ilia had been moved to anger. When he didn't answer, Ilia just grew more frustrated. "Drinking is dangerous!" she insisted. "Drinking _kills! That's _why I was so uncomfortable last night! Because when I was a girl, my father was my hero! But when my mother died, he started drinking, and he didn't stop for _years! _And when he was drunk, he hardly knew who I was! And the only person- the only person who was ever around to help, ever around to make me feel better, was that boy in the- in the stupid green tunic, the same boy that Ashei's going to destroy if she doesn't just _leave him alone!"_ And with that Ilia took an empty bottle and smashed it on the ground. Then she leaned forward against the bar, throwing her arms across it and sobbing into the wood.

Shad was at Ilia's side in seconds. He pried her off the bar and then she fell into _his _arms, sobbing into his shoulder, the happy, cheerful, funny girl gone, and replaced with this sad, heartbroken figure with nowhere else to turn.

"I know you don't think so," Shad muttered into her hair, "but Ashei loves Link. I really, truly believe that she loves him, just not in the way that you'd expect. He has a very special place in her heart, but she'll never admit it. And she wants to help him. She _does._"

Shad pulled away from Ilia, keeping his hands rested on her shoulders. He looked into her eyes, red with tears, and continued speaking."But Ashei has a very roundabout method of fixing things... she has to break it first. She has to make sure that everything's been uncovered, that the whole problem has been revealed... then she can build from the ground up. Then she can make sure that every problem is being solved, right down to the core. Because if you only scratch the surface, well... you can only _fix _the surface. But the stuff underneath is still broken, right? Everything has to get worse before it can get better. And it'll hurt- Ilia, it will hurt- but Ashei loves Link, and she will do _everything in her power _to get him back. I promise you... she won't give up."

Ilia gave a long, dramatic sniff, and then wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She turned back to the dishes and sighed. "You're really nice, Shad."

"I... thank you, I-"

"Nicer than Link, I think," she continued. "Much nicer. Probably even nicer than Telma. I don't think I've ever met anybody as nice to me as you are."

"Well, you deserve it," Shad answered in bashful earnest.

"Call me a dreamer, but I've always wished to find a guy as nice as you."

Shad felt his face heat up. "Well-"

"But I don't think it will ever happen," Ilia added melodramatically, and Shad's words caught in his throat.

_Don't be a fool, Shad,_ he thought to himself. _She doesn't think of you that way._

And then he drew off to the other side of the bar, where he continued picking up the garbage until it was all gone.

…

"The best advice I can give is to sleep it off! Treat the bumps with warm water, and whatever you do, don't scratch them- what- hey! I said don't scratch them! What are you doing? Stop- oh, forget it. You people..." mumbled Doctor Borville, waddling out of the small ward and drawing the white curtain shut behind him. He pulled off his gloves and threw them into a trash bin, adjusted his glasses, and then jumped as the door to the office opened.

"Drat!" he muttered. "Another patient- just what I need-" but then he stopped grumbling as a young, attractive woman entered the office, shutting the door behind her, and looking Borville dead in the eye.

"You're the doctor?" she said directly, her voice harsh, powerful, demanding attention. Borville attempted to straighten up.

"Y-Yes- mph- yes I am, what is it? How can I help you?" he asked, striding forward and finding himself- comically- eye level with her hips. "Do you need an examination?" he asked hopefully.

"My eyes are up here, you dirty pervert," she sneered, and he harrumphed angrily.

"Well, I'll be!" he exclaimed. "Very well, fine. I see how it is. What do you need? So little time, and so many patients- a physical will cost you a pretty rupee, girl!"

"I don't need a physical," she answered. "I need information regarding a former patient."

Borville narrowed his eyes. "That sort of information is confidential. I'm forbidden by law to share that sort of- hmph! Just who do you think you are, anyway?"

"I'm Ashei of Snowpeak, and I need your help. It's about Link..."

"Fine," Borville sighed after a moment. "Let's discuss this in my office." He led her into a small room separated off by another white curtain. There was a desk inside, with a rickety wooden chair, and stacks and stacks of scrolls, books, and paperwork concerning patients. Borville yanked the curtain shut and Ashei sat down in the desk chair, eye level, now, with the doctor.

"Well," he said after a moment, "I should have known a soldier would confront me about this after awhile..."

"I'm not a soldier," Ashei clarified quickly. "In fact, I'm far from it. I'm a freelancer."

"I'm sorry if I offended you," the doctor said. "It's true, nobody likes the soldiers nowadays. They're so strict with their laws, afraid that if they don't keep everybody under careful watch, the kingdom will fall to pieces again." His mouth contorted to the side. "It's true. They weren't happy when Her Majesty Princess Zelda hired me to treat the Hero of Twilight after the dark days ended. She said that he fell quickly and suddenly into a great amount of pain... we treated him within castle walls to make sure that nobody bothered him- all the guards there, you know, to keep away prying eyes-"

"Wait. Why didn't they want you treating him?"

"They said he wasn't sick," said Borville. "It was a dumb thing to say; we could all tell he was dying."

"What exactly was wrong with him? I mean medically, not just physically." Ashei said, and Borville froze.

"I'm afraid I can't- well, you see, I'm forbidden by law to reveal such information..."

"Listen! I don't care what the law says- Link is my best friend, and he's getting... sick... again. I need to know what you know- it's the only way we can help him!"

"Miss Ashei, I'm very sorry, but-"

"Please," she said, her voice growing weak. "I need to stop him before he starts dying again..."

Borville's eyes fell shut, and he sighed very slowly. When he opened them again, he was surprisingly somber. "After the dark days, Link was taken to the castle infirmary to be treated for injuries and sickness. I performed a series of tests on his body to analyze what was wrong with him. The diagnosis as I conducted it suggested a sort of manic depression. Bipolar disorder, if you will," he explained.

With this, he hopped upon a stool and reached for a scroll that was very high up on a shelf. He slid it out from its compartment, and then turned to his desk. With a swipe of the arm, he had cleared the desk of all its books and papers, and then rolled out the scroll very matter-of-factly. Eyeing it, he continued, "the change of demeanor was likely brought on by stress... such an ailment might also be considered post-traumatic stress, although it didn't seem that way when we performed the tests. Really, the test results pointed heavily towards bipolarity, something that Link may have had his whole life, but it was very small, and thus was not triggered until after the events of the war.

"Well... what does that mean for Link?" Ashei asked, her brow furrowing.

"Phases," the doctor answered. "Highs and lows, to extremes. Highs to the point of near euphoria... lows to the point of extreme depression." Here he gulped. "Risks of suicide," he added softly.

This hit Ashei quite hard. "Suicide?"

"If pushed far enough, yes," Borville answered. His eyes glazed down the scroll. "This is a report from the tests performed eight months ago," he described. "Besides bipolar disorder, Link was ailing from various injuries- scars, bruises, and burns. He had also suffered a minor concussion and was dying of malnutrition." He glanced up at Ashei, his eyes even wider than usual. "It's no wonder the boy's body was shutting down. All of the above combined with near-death experiences and various other psychological trials... the fact that the boy's still alive is a miracle."

Ashei's forehead had fallen into her hand, and her eyes were wide as she stared blankly ahead.

"Are you all right, Miss Ashei?"

"Just letting it sink in," Ashei answered quietly.

"Ah," Borville answered, adjusting his glasses and fidgeting in place. "I see."

Ashei glanced up. "How can we help him?" she pleaded.

"Keep him healthy," the doctor answered. "And be patient. Try to take the stress off of his shoulders, and be understanding of him when he's upset... arguing with him will upset him. Even things that shouldn't upset him could upset him if he's not feeling well, and... does he drink?" Borville asked all of a sudden.

"Yes," Ashei answered. "He's an alcoholic." The words were painful, perhaps because they hadn't seemed real until she said them out loud.

"Oh," Borville answered slowly. "Well, that's certainly a setback, isn't it? I suppose you'll need a distraction. Find a way to bring back good memories, push thoughts of the war aside, yes? Thoughts of his childhood might work..."

"What do you mean _might _work?" Ashei questioned. "Are you even a _real _doctor? Can't you help treat him, with... with, I don't know, medicine or something?"

"This is an ailment of the mind we're discussing," Borville reminded her. "Such things are beyond my expertise! I was trained only in malfunctions of the body, but the mind- well, we're talking about something else entirely!" He leaned in. "The caverns of the mind are a dark place to explore. When we pry into another's brain, we are prying into their very soul. Surely that is black magic! You don't expect them to teach that in the medical schools, do you? I should think not!"

Ashei stood up very suddenly. "Fine," she said. "I get it. You can't tell me anything else. You're forbidden by law or whatever-" she took a few steps towards the door. Borville stopped her suddenly.

"I didn't really treat Link in the castle to keep away nosy townsfolk," he confessed very quickly. "You don't need guards for that. The princess and I agreed it was best to keep the guards around because Link- well, he was trying very hard to kill himself, and we were trying very hard to stop him."

Ashei didn't turn around to face him. She just stood with her back to him, arms slack at her sides, eyes downcast as she listened. When the room had gone silent again, she spoke very quietly.

"You shouldn't have told me that," she said.

"Why?"

"Because I didn't need that knowledge." She felt slightly hollow as she continued, "And I damn well didn't want it, either."

They both fell quiet, and then she walked away, her feet dragging heavily behind her in the newfound gloom.

From behind the opposite curtain, a patient began complaining about a boil, or something insignificant of that nature.

**The long- awaited (was it long-awaited?) Chapter 11. **

**The humor for which this story is famous-ish should be returning in the next chapter. Telma finally gets her cameo- I just love Telma, I really do. Also, what are your thoughts on Shad and Ilia? I don't know, there's something about watching Shad fall a little bit in love that makes me **_**d'aww.**_** (I'm sorry. I have a shipper's heart.)**

**I know I say this every time, but thanks again for your support, your advice, anything. You guys don't know how much even a bit of feedback means to me, you really don't, and I know it sounds like I'm mooching for reviews- okay, I'm mooching for reviews- but that's what keeps me going. **


	12. Chapter 12

In retrospect, Telma supposed that she really hadn't known what to expect when she returned home, and by that logic, she'd had no real right to be surprised.

There was glass all over the floor and some of the furniture was overturned. The cat was sitting on the hanging plant, a shrub atop her head like a crown. Ashei was leaning back against a shelf, obviously flustered. Ilia looked tremendously guilty. Shad was hobbling back and forth with a crutch under one arm. And just when Telma thought things couldn't get any more bizarre, a bulblin came trotting down the steps wearing a dishrag as an apron.

Her luggage fell to the floor with a loud _clunk _and she whipped her head back and forth, unable to make heads or tails of anything. She realized suddenly that everything had frozen in place, and that all eyes were focused on her. So after giving everything a moment to settle in, she assumed a vague smile, and stated that, "It's always something," before dispatching upstairs to fetch the broom.

When she returned, movement had resumed as usual. Ilia was sweeping some of the glass into a dustpan with her hand.

"Oh no, honey, don't do that, you'll cut yourself," Telma commanded. She grabbed Ilia's hands and realized that they were bright red. Ilia hung her head as Telma inspected them. "Goddesses, child, what in Hyrule…"

"Burned them," Ilia answered quietly. "Hot water."

Telma glanced at the girl skeptically. "Of course," she said, playing along with what was obviously a lie. Then she commanded Ilia to stand up and let her do the sweeping. Ashei was doing very little to help, so Telma caught her eye. She seemed pale and tired, so Telma told her to take Ilia upstairs. She suggested that both of them rest for a bit. But Ashei had no intentions of going anywhere with Ilia, as her expression clearly stated, so she declared with a harrumph that she was going out, and disappeared with a slam of the door. Ilia vanished up the staircase, and the bulblin followed her—which still made no sense to Telma—leaving nobody but Shad.

"Okay," Telma finally said, catching his eye, "I'm never leaving this bar again. What—" she said with a sweep of the broom— "in _Din's name—" sweep_— "Was _that?!_" A third and final sweep, added for emphasis.

"You've missed a lot," Shad answered blatantly. "Shall I explain?"

"_Please_," answered Telma, who could feel a headache coming on.

"I suppose it all started right after you left. Link and I took a day trip to Lake Hylia, but I broke my leg. I've been walking with a crutch ever since—I mean, I'm fine, now. But I have a limp. Not sure whether that will go away. I don't mind," he continued urgently at Telma's shocked expression. "Really, I don't. I do a lot of sitting around, anyway. I'll be all right."

"And what happened after that?"

"Link felt bad, so he wouldn't leave his room. So Ashei took him fighting. And somehow he ended up with a pet bulblin. Her name's Mildred, and Link spared her life. So she owes him a debt, and she has to serve him until she repays the debt. Her honor depends on it."

"How does that have to do with the glass all over my floor?" Telma pressed.

"I'm getting to that!" cried Shad, who was beginning to get impatient. He collected the dustpan from Telma and emptied the glass into a bin. Then he took Telma's shoulders and steered her over to a chair, sitting her down gently.

"Why am I sitting?!" Telma asked, but Shad didn't answer.

"Then Ashei threw a party—you weren't going to know about it, but, uh, I just told you. I don't know why I told you that. _Drat… _anyway, Link got really drunk. He talked a lot about his past. And then he kissed Ashei—"

"He _what?!"_

"—and it all became very messy from there. Ashei went to visit Princess Zelda and Doctor Borville to get help because Link's been acting quite odd lately. And it turns out—well, you see, it turns out that—" Shad stopped to adjust his glasses, voice faltering. Then he sighed. "Telma, it turns out that Link is actually quite ill."

Telma stood up very quickly, and Shad sat her right back down. "He's been hung over all day," Shad continued calmly. "He was ailing from nightmares, I believe. He seemed very distressed. Ilia and I took care of him, and then we cleaned up the rest of the bar from last night's party. And in the middle of it all, Ashei walked in. She told us everything that Zelda and Borville had to say."

"And what's that?" asked Telma with concern.

"Link has some form of bipolarity. Borville thinks that it was triggered by the war. I guess that Link was held in confinement after the war because he was dying. Ashei makes it sound like he barely scraped by, and then hit one of his highs. He was happy for a few months. But now he's going downhill again, and he's falling fast. Ashei's afraid he might… well, he might do something stupid."

"And the glass is all over the floor _because?" _Telma continued halfheartedly.

"Because Ilia thinks that Ashei triggered this whole thing. They got into a fight ten minutes ago. Screaming and everything. Then Ilia slapped Ashei. Twice. She went reeling into the wine cabinet and that's why Ilia's hands are red."

Telma's expression was hard to describe—caught between sadness and confusion and surprise, Shad suspected.

"Louise is in the vegetation," Telma concluded.

"Jumped up there when Ashei knocked the cabinet over," Shad answered. "She burrowed down into the flowers. I think she was scared."

"_Well_," Telma finally sighed, standing up and retrieving the shaking cat from the plant. "It never ends, does it?" she asked.

"I imagine that things would be terribly boring any other way," Shad decided. "After all, gods forbid there be some peace and quiet…"

The cat meowed in agreement.

…

The Princess flexed the muscles in her legs; then her arms; then her shoulders; then her neck. And then she let them all relax at once. The doctor had told her it would help to relieve her stress, but she was starting to think that nothing would do that.

Thronesitting was terribly boring. Twice a week from eight in the morning to twelve o' clock noon she was expected to sit on a cushion and answer the demands of her people. And from one in the afternoon to six in the evening, she repeated this process. During this time she was allowed one meal and one brief walk through the courtyards. Sometimes, nobody showed. Other times, the entire kingdom materialized at her feet. But no matter the outcome, the demands were always the same—monotonous cries for food, for freedoms, for medicine, for justice. People who felt they had been wronged. People who felt they hadn't been given their fair share.

It was surprising, therefore, when one day four guards showed up dragging a zora boy in their arms.

"Your Majesty," one of them announced, "_Prince _Ralis." The soldier spoke with scorn when he addressed the boy with that title, and Zelda's expression hardened.

"Why have you brought him here?" she questioned.

"For questioning," he answered. And with that, he threw the boy forward into the carpet, where he let out a faint, disheartened whimper.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Zelda said.

"I shall handle this," decreed an oily voice, and Zelda jumped at the hot breath in her ear. She glanced over her shoulder to find herself face-to-face with Chancellor Crevan. He was looking not at her, but at the boy, but his presence was unnerving all the same.

"Of course," said Zelda quietly. "Such matters are… yours to handle." A bell rung suddenly, signaling six o' clock. Her duties at an end, Zelda got to her feet. She paused in her ascent, glancing down as something cold wrapped around her ankle. It was the zora prince, gazing up at her with terrified green eyes.

"Please," he said quietly. "They're going to hurt me—Your Highness—_please-!"_

Zelda felt Crevan's hand around her arm. "Leave the boy," he advised. "He will not be harmed. He is under the delusion that he is in danger, but I can promise you that he is in good hands."

"Why, then, is the evidence of the contrary so overwhelming?"

"I suppose you are united in your delusions. A side effect of royal blood, I imagine," the chancellor answered, and she could hear him snicker. He turned to Ralis. "Come, boy," he demanded, and with the help of the guards, Crevan dragged the boy down a corridor and out of sight.

There was a groan from the other end of the room as an onlooker got to his feet.

"That zora boy has been here for weeks, you know," the man said.

"I wouldn't doubt it, Auru," the princess answered.

"I have asked you half a dozen times to fire that man," Auru claimed, finding his way to Zelda's side, "and yet you have not obliged."

Zelda searched the old, withered face of her former tutor. She knew that his wisdom went far beyond her own, and yet she used the oldest excuse known to royalty. "The council would not approve. They elected him, after all."

"And have you ever considered firing the council?" Auru continued. Zelda's posture tensed, but the old man merely smiled. "I see," he said quietly. He reached forward and took Zelda's hands in his own. "Your hands are cold. That man frightens you."

"I don't trust Crevan," Zelda answered simply, glancing back to the spot where the chancellor had vanished as if he might still be listening.

"Why should you trust anybody who so elegantly avoids telling the truth?" Auru returned, and fell into step beside the princess as she made to exit the throne room.

…

Ilia sat on her mattress glumly. The whole room was dark and quiet, and all she could really focus on was the fact that she had slapped Ashei into a shelf of wine bottles and that now she just felt plain sick. And tired. And worried, too. About Link, yeah, but even more about Shad. She didn't know _why _she was so worried about Shad would think of her. She just was. Even though Ilia knew that Shad could never, _ever _dislike her, she still worried about it sometimes.

She flopped back on her pillow and thought about him some more. She really liked Shad. Then again, who didn't? He was just so funny. And brainy. Ilia supposed it was the little things about him that she liked best, like the way that he played with his glasses when he was flustered, or the little strands of hair that fell out of place when he lost his balance. Or the way that his face went bright red sometimes. And she liked his nose, because sometimes when he was under the weather he would sniff, and scrunch up his nose to one side, and it was all very silly. And he had dimples, which Ilia was very fond of, because Shad didn't grin very often. She liked to think that when he did grin, the dimples were a sort of reward. _"Congratulations!" _they seemed to say. _"You made me laugh!"_

And she also liked that he didn't mind having to walk with a crutch. He'd taken it as a blessing; the first thing he'd said when Borville announced that he might have a limp for the rest of his life was, "Good! All the more reason to read a good book!" Oh, that was another thing Ilia liked about Shad. He liked reading books. And he liked sniffing them, too. He said that there was nothing better than the smell of a book. He said he could tell a new book from an old book by the way it smelled. And he said if a book smelled better, then that meant the book _was _better. Ilia once asked Shad if he only liked books for the way they smelled and he said that that was probably seventy-five percent of it.

Oh yeah, percentages. Shad didn't talk in percentages a lot, but when he did, Ilia always giggled. She hadn't even _known _what a percentage was when she first met him. He had said one day, "Ashei spent ninety-nine percent of her money gambling on the east road." Ilia said she didn't understand, so Shad told her what he meant. She had fallen in love with the idea, and had been doing it herself ever since. She once told Telma that she was "Fifty percent smiles and fifty percent sweet," and Telma had hugged her so tightly that she was afraid she might pop. And Ilia caught Shad's eye over Telma's shoulder and grinned the biggest grin she could possibly muster.

And Shad had just grinned back, dimples more prominent than ever, and he blushed a little, and adjusted his glasses, and sniffed, all in a combination of all of the things that made Shad, Shad.

And it was one hundred percent wonderful.

…

By six o' clock that evening, Link felt back to normal. He was clean, he was refreshed. Sure, his head felt like an anvil, but he was definitely on the road to recovery. The problem was, having a clear head meant confronting the petty things again, and as the final images of his nightmares vanished temporarily from his mind, images of something not-so-imaginary came rushing back in.

Ashei. The kiss. That long, unnecessary, kiss smack in the middle of Telma's bar, where all of Castle Town was free to witness it. If not for Shad and Ilia, Link definitely would have been the talk of the town for weeks to come.

He sat back with a sigh, cursing Ashei- and most other women, for that matter- for turning him into a hormonal, sexually aggravated nincompoop. He hadn't asked for this.

Okay, she was attractive. But she was also Link's friend and fighting partner. They_ worked_together, for Din's sake. Didn't that make her off-limits? And besides, she'd kick the living crap out of Link if she ever realized that he wanted her that badly.

But, ugh, it was true. And it wasn't just her body. It was her brilliant, bold spirit. She was proud and captivating and funny and sexy.

He collapsed back onto the headboard with an aggravated sigh. He'd told himself there would be consequences. Of course, he had expected the consequences to consist of Ashei shoving a knife up his ass or something, not this extreme confusion mixed with mild arousal, of all things. It was certainly a turn of events, and he had by no means seen it coming.

_And besides_, he reasoned_, it's just a case of hormones_. _I'm a teenager, damn it_. _And this is healthy, right?_

…Well? Wasn't it? What with the returning nightmares, and the voices in his head, and the vomiting all over the sheets? What with the _getting drunk and thinking about Midna and war and blood and then spending all day hung over in bed?_

Maybe, Link continued, this was good for him. Yes, it was awkward. Yes, Ashei probably wanted no part in it. But she didn't have to know he felt this way. Right? Right.

A knock came suddenly on the door.

"Link? Are you up?"

"Yeah," he grunted in return.

"Oh. It's me, Shad. Uh—everyone's back. We're having a group meeting downstairs. Join us?"

"I'll be down in a minute," Link answered. He took a second to gather his bearings. And then he slipped out of bed, stood up, and smiled faintly when he didn't topple over.

…

"Link," Ashei breathed in relief when the boy hobbled down the stairs. She leapt out of her seat and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him protectively. "Good to see you." She could feel him become suddenly tense in her grip and she remembered the previous night—but that had been nothing, yeah? He had simply been drunk. Surely he was just as embarrassed by the action as she was. _Surely _he had no intentions of kindling a relationship. Ashei wasn't interested, after all.

When she pulled away, he was smiling lazily. "You didn't wake me up this morning," was all he said. "Usually, we scream at each other."

She just rolled her eyes and returned to the table where the Resistance had always held meetings. Telma, Shad, and Ilia were already seated. Ashei and Link took their seats, and Link was incredibly conscious of everyone staring at him intently. Finally, he sighed in defeat.

"I didn't know you'd invited me downstairs for a staring contest." He observed their un-amused expressions. "Or is it a straight face contest? I'm not very good at those."

"How have you been _feeling?" _asked Shad abruptly. Link just shook his head.

"I think the answer to that is pretty obvious. Or was I just imagining the events of this afternoon?"

"That's not what he means," Ashei clarified. "What we mean is… well, you've been kind of sad, yeah?"

"In general, you mean? I've been… all right," Link answered, suddenly feeling insecure. He shifted back and forth. "If this is about—listen, I know I behaved… inappropriately. I've been a mess, and I'm sorry. I've kind of been sloppy with my actions, and…" he diverted his eyes from Ashei. "Well, I'm working on it."

"But have you been happy?" Ilia asked.

Link was about to say _yes_. He came incredibly close. It was the immediate response, after all. Well-rehearsed to the point of absolute fluency, _yes _would have been the easy answer. But it occurred to him all of a sudden that it would also have been a lie.

"No," he answered slowly. "I haven't."

"I didn't think so," Ashei said. "Link… how _have _you been feeling? Answer honestly."

Link's shoulders fell. "Well, I…" he looked around, and the words he wanted to say played through his head.

_I'm… uneasy, _he wanted to say. _Uneasy, because I'm starting to feel afraid of myself. I feel like I'm losing my grip. At any given moment, I could lose it. My mask of happiness is slipping away. It's like my defenses are being blown up. The voices have started again. And the nightmares are back. Sometimes, I think I'll never be happy again… but then I think of you. I think of the lot of you, being funny and stupid and making mistakes like I do. And I think of Ashei, who is stubborn and rude and altogether amazing. I think of what I'd do if I got her alone, and it helps to push out the bad thoughts. And I know that it's bad to think of her like that, and I feel guilty about it, but it's the only way to make myself feel better. Because I'm a chemical mixture that's about to lose control, and it's like I need a perfect balance to control myself…_

_But that's just it. Too much time like this, and I might lose that sense of control. And I don't know which end of the spectrum I'll be on when it happens—_

"Link?"

He glanced up, emerging from his thoughts. "I've just been feeling ill," he fibbed. "Tired. I think I've been drinking too much, and…" he glanced around, trying to come up with something to say. "Well, I'd like to get out for a bit. To the countryside—"

Ashei was giving him a look that very clearly cried _bullshit. _He tried not to focus on it.

"It's all just been very messy, and I think that—I think that I need some time off. From all the ruckus, I mean."

He was expecting cries of _malarkey! _but received none. Instead, the group just nodded collectively.

"Ashei proposed a trip to Ordon," Ilia finally said. She reached across the table and took Link's hand. "Would you like that, Link?"

"Yes," he answered quickly. It was partially true, after all.

"I think it will help you get your mind off of things. We'll all go—take a group holiday—"

_So that you can monitor me, _Link recited in his head. _Yeah. I get it._

"—and it will all be delightful, won't it?"

"Yes, of course," Shad agreed.

"And right at the time of the Fall Festival, too, Link!" Ilia cried in mock-delight. "You love the Fall Festival, don't you, Link?"

He pulled his hand away, trying to hide his suspicion. They _were _acting suspicious, after all. What did they know? Apparently more than he did.

"Yes," he said slowly, glancing from one friend to the next. "I do."

"Fado will be happy to see you," Ilia was rambling. "You can help out with the goats… and we'll have Father fix up rooms for Shad and Ashei…"

And Ashei was saying, "I'm looking forward to learning how to wrangle… hear it's quite the sport…"

Shad just kept ranting about how nice it would be to meet Rusl's family. And Telma kept repeating, "Send them my love! All my love!"

So in the middle of it all Link just stood up and started walking away, faking a smile and ignoring the voices behind him. It was all very rehearsed, and he was remarkably uncomfortable.

And once he had turned the corner, he stopped to listen, because something that Ashei was saying had caught his attention.

"I don't think he knows…" Ashei began. And Shad just shook his head.

"Poor lad. If I were that ill, I'd want to know as well."

Link raced up the stairs very quickly after that, his blood hot in his veins. He wasn't really sure what happened next but somehow he found himself sitting on his mattress, punching his pillow over and over again. And then he took it in both hands and threw it very hard against the wall. And then he started laughing, and he didn't know why.

**I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS STORY IS ANYMORE. I'm updating in the wee hours of the morning because I have midterms all week and if I don't do it now, it's not going to happen.**

**Thanks for your support, yadda yadda. Oh, good news. I finally planned out the rest of the plotline, and I can confirm that we are… not even halfway through. Sorry, guys.**

**As usual, I didn't proofread. If you find any errors, too bad, I'm not going to change them.**

**I deleted my Tumblr account for the sake of my writing. That's like signing your soul to the devil and then deciding you want it after all. Since I made this tremendous sacrifice for you guys, I expect copious amounts of praise and thanks in your reviews this time around.**

**No, but all sarcastic remarks aside, thanks for continuing to put up with this story even though I crank out chapters like a sloth cranks out… well, other sloths, I suppose. The next chapter focuses on the trip to Ordon, and if that doesn't steam your noodles, then I don't know what will. See you on the flip-side.**

**-CTJ**


	13. Chapter 13

"We'll go on ahead, and the rest of you slow-pokes can meet us in Ordon, yeah?" said Ashei, strapping a final bundle to the saddle of her horse and giving the steed a pat on the nose.

"Just because you don't like wagon travel..." Shad mumbled, but a death glare from Ashei prevented him from finishing his sentence.

"I can't stand wagons," said Link, who had clambered onto Epona and was overlooking the East Gate of Castletown wistfully. "They're musty. Slow, too."

"And flammable," said Ilia quietly. Link caught her eye and they shared a look that only they would understand.

"Well, I think wagons are quite pleasant," Shad said decisively, and he watched as Ilia fastened something to the front of the wagon. "You sure are good at that," he said in admiration.

"Of course she's good at it," Ashei snapped irritably. "Gods, Shad, she could _sneeze_ and you would tell her she was good at it."

"Excuse you, Ashei, but my sneezes are actually quite remarkable," Ilia said, poking her nose up in the air.

"It's true," Shad added quietly, and Ilia caught his eye and winked. A blush crept up his neck; he hadn't meant for anyone to hear him.

"It's a good day for riding," Link now said, and it was true. The August sun beat hot and white in a cornflower blue sky. A breeze sent puffball clouds tumbling through the air, and the banners adorning the outer wall of Castletown did acrobatics in the hot air. A cicada was serenading the day somewhere out in the haze, and as Link and Ilia prepared for departure from Castle Town, they felt that the weather was practically beckoning them home.

"I miss Ordon," Ilia had said that morning, and it was no secret that she was happy to get out of the city. "I'm a country girl at heart," she'd added, and Shad had just smiled vacantly at the sound of her voice. His infatuation with Ilia was really getting quite excessive and Link was starting to think that if Shad didn't stop with the dopey looks soon, he was going to have to put an end to them himself.

That wasn't to say he wasn't feeling similarly to Shad. Although, his feelings for Ashei weren't quite the same as what Shad felt for Ilia. Shad seemed to genuinely like her; as far as Link could tell, Shad had a crush. He liked Ilia because he thought she was funny and cute, and she was nice to Shad.

But the way Link felt about Ashei was different. He knew that it was dirty and rude, the way he thought of her. If Ashei ever found out that Link was having _fantasies_ about her, she would probably beat the living daylights out of him. But Link didn't want to end it; it made him feel good, and during a time when he felt the weight of fear and sadness increasing on his shoulders- seemingly without explanation- a little bit of sensuality wasn't so bad. Right?

That was how he justified it with himself, but even as he watched Ashei mount her steed gracefully and pose proudly upon it, he couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt run through him. She didn't deserve to be used as a prop to make him feel better. _Especially_ in the context he was currently putting her in...

"I think that we're about ready to go," Ilia said, making sure that all of the luggage was safely stored in the back of the covered wagon. "We've definitely got everything..."

"My equipment?" asked Link. "Mildred said she packed it but I'm not so sure I trust her… Poor girl. Don't know how I'll manage without her these next few weeks."

"Check," Ilia answered in the affirmative.

"And my trunk?" Shad asked. "My clothes, books, my mother's candlesticks-"

"- _Your mothers candlesticks_," interrupted Ashei mockingly.

"Check."

"Don't forget Shad's knickers," Ashei scoffed.

"Oh, be quiet, Ashei, you're the one who insisted on bringing those stupid antlers-"

"I won those antlers after trapping and killing a Wild Snowpeak Stag, thank you very much," Ashei clarified, referring to the antlers on a plaque that had been hanging on her bedroom wall for the past few months.

"Your knickers are definitely in here, Shad," Ilia interrupted, and Shad's face glowed red.

"You _checked_?!" he cried.

"Wasn't I supposed to?" Ilia answered innocently, and only seconds later Ashei reached into Shad's wooden trunk from atop her horse and pulled out one of his undergarments, holding it at arm's length with her thumb and forefinger.

"Why are they _purple_?!" she cried, and Shad leapt for the garment dangling from her grip. She lifted it out of reach and continued, "Were they purple to start out with, or is this the result of something recent?" She caught his eye teasingly. "Should I be worried?"

"Stop it! Give those back!" Shad cried, his skin having gone violently red. Ilia watched from ten feet away and giggled, turning away after a second to consult Link about something.

Ashei tossed Shad's underpants back at him, and they landed gracelessly over his forehead before he grasped them and threw them back in with the rest of his luggage.

"That'll teach you to insult my antlers," Ashei laughed as Shad grumbled angrily to himself.

"Shad, Ashei," said Link, catching everyone's attention, "Ilia suggests that Ashei and I ride quickly so we can make it to Ordon before sundown. Shad, you and Ilia travel at a slower pace, and meet us there in a few days."

"What if we get attacked?!" cried Shad worriedly.

"Monster supper," Ashei answered darkly. Ilia's eyes widened.

"Really?!"

"No," Link assured her. He caught Ashei's eye. "It's not funny," he said. "Ilia had to travel by wagon through monster territory before. It was awful. Don't joke about that kind of thing."

"It WAS awful," Ilia said quietly.

"_ANYWAY_," said Shad loudly, displaying his henceforth undisclosed talent for awkwardly changing the subject, "I think you all raise a valid point. Ashei and Link go on ahead, let the villagers know we have a company of four, and perhaps you can have preparations made? You know, find proper accommodations for our stay-"

"_Proper accommodations_," Ashei scoffed quietly.

"Would you stop doing that?!" cried Shad, stamping his foot.

"Maybe I will," she answered.

"Good," Shad sighed.

"But maybe I won't," she added, turning away and trotting off with a shrug. Shad watched her in utter bewilderment as she grinned and pranced off.

"My pain fuels her," he remarked. He turned to Link. "You'd better hurry up," he said. "She's not going to wait for you."

A grin crossed Link's face. "I know," he said. And then the earth shook under them as Epona whinnied and Link shot after Ashei.

Shad noticed suddenly that Ilia's mouth had formed into a small _o_.

"What? What is it?!" asked Shad, and Ilia just shook her head.

"I've just realized something," she said, taking the reins of the two horses pulling the wagon and guiding them along. He watched her as she strode along, and noticed that she had taken her shoes off, and smiled at the girl walking into the undergrowth, the girl walking back home.

-  
The windows of Zelda's private study had been left open today, letting in the warm, sweet breeze. The smell of grass wafted in through the opening, carried on the wind. The gossamer drapes fluttered into the study like the skirts of dancing ladies, the morning light falling across Zelda's figure and illuminating the pictograph in her hands. She was observing the face inside the frame with just the slightest hint of a smile that really was very becoming on her. A knock at the door signaled someone's arrival and Zelda stored the pictograph back into a drawer in her desk almost regretfully; a split-second later, a tall, slim figure entered the study.

"Good morning, Your Highness," the man said.

"Hello, Chancellor," Zelda sighed, and Chancellor Crevan smiled oily. She shuddered internally.

"You weren't at the council meeting this morning," he said, glancing into the mirror on the wall and slicking back his greasy gray hair.

"I was occupied," the princess answered.

"With?"

"I was signing papers," she answered, and Crevan turned to her.

"Papers?"

"Approving the knighthood of two of my newest soldiers," Zelda finished, and a smirk crossed Crevan's face.

"Ah, yes... About these knights of yours- I'm afraid that they won't be in service much longer."

Zelda sat up straighter, brow drawn. "Why on earth-"

"As chancellor," Crevan interrupted, "I am in charge of the army and the law. Face the facts, Your Highness- you are a figurehead. You link us to the public, but you have no real power."

Zelda stood up very quickly. "Chancellor, are you implying that you intend to disband my entire army?"

"Only those who do not follow the new order of things," he answered smoothly. Zelda's fists clenched.

"New order of things?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Enlighten me."

The chancellor let out a long sigh. Then, he began a slow pace around the room.

"As you know," he began, "Hyrule has seen its fair share of trouble... The kingdom has been subject to poor leadership-"

"-Excuse you!" Zelda interrupted. "I sacrificed_ everything_ for my people!"

"Oh, I'm sure," Creven replied with heavy sarcasm. "I'm sure that would explain the photograph you keep so _perfectly_ hidden in that desk of yours."

"How did you..." Zelda trailed off.

"I won't tarry on the subject," Creven continued, brushing off Zelda's small protest. "The point, Your Highness, is that towns and cities are poorly managed these days. Just look at the Zora village- those _fish_ were worshipping a king that is hardly 13 years of age! It's a mockery of the work we do, Princess. We cannot allow such poorly chosen leaders to remain in power. The kingdom will fall to anarchy."

"Anarchy wasn't a concern before the dark days," Zelda argued.

"Neither was a twilight invasion!" Creven cried. "My actions are taken with the welfare of Hyrule at heart. Your Majesty, you must understand- it is our responsibility to ensure that Hyrule is being properly governed. We cannot weaken ourselves. And that is why I suggest we take extra precautions by withdrawing current local leaders and replacing them with our own workers."

Zelda was quiet. She rested her fingers on the windowpane and looked out at the kingdom, green and bustling under her gaze.

"You're probably right," she said quietly.

"Of course I'm right," Crevan answered. He made to leave, but stopped before he could reach the door. "I've asked that man Auru to leave service."

Zelda turned around in alarm. "What?!"

"Didn't you hear the sorts of things he would say?!" Crevan remarked. "Treason, all of it. Men like that can't be trusted. I ask that you don't meet with him again."

Zelda took a step closer. "And if I do?!"

"It's like I said," Crevan answered dramatically, "you're just a figurehead, Your Highness. Consider who has the REAL power here."

And with a bone-chilling wink, he slammed the door of the study behind him.

Epona's hooves thundered underneath her as she whisked Link across the glade.

_Th-thump, th-thump, th-thump._

Mud flew out behind him and he rounded a corner, the air rushing past, wind cool against his face, in his eyes, through his hair, at his collar. He inhaled the scent of grass and flowers and bowed down closer toward Epona, heart pounding against his ribcage.

He rounded another corner and had aligned himself with Ashei within only a few more paces. She was grinning into the tempest, black hair flying out behind her as she pushed her steed, almost as if she were racing time itself. Something swelled and turned in Link's chest and he tore his eyes off of the girl, focusing instead on the crest of the oncoming hill as he pushed up it. Hooves hammered underneath him as he pushed Epona during the ascent, and like slingshots Link and Ashei flew up the hill, coming to a halt at the very top.

They stilled, and their breath caught in their throats.

The kingdom stretched on for miles in every direction, glistening green and white and silver under the sun. The distant mountains crested in white and Ashei looked toward the peaks with a longing in her eyes that Link understood all too well.

The two warriors posed proud and quiet atop that hill, overlooking the land they'd fought so hard for, and Link found himself reaching for Ashei's hand; in a moment of surprise, he found that she had had her hand outstretched as well, perhaps for the same reason.

Link's heart churned and throbbed in his chest and for a few moments there was nothing but the sound of the wind in the grass and the breathing and the stamping of the mares.

Ashei caught Link's eye and smiled. When he smiled back there was something sorrowful, something sentimental about it that she couldn't quite place. Her heart drummed in her chest and she felt in that moment a bond that had for so long eluded her.

And then with a sly grin she broke the moment, spurring the sides of her horse and plummeting down the hill with a laugh that coursed like a fever through Link's veins.

The wagon wheels squeaked as they turned on their axels, the wagon bumping and up and down as it started to cover the rough terrain of Hyrule Field. Rocks and shrubs and short pale grass flattened under the wheels as the wagon paved a route across the moor, Ilia walking barefoot beside it and taking deep breaths of the sweet air.

Shad sat in the wagon, his crutch across his lap, and as he gazed out at the plain ahead of him, asked, "Are you very happy to be going home?"

"Yes," Ilia said a little breathlessly. "I love the country. Wide open plains and clean air and big space. And Ordon, with little suction-cup frogs and rainbows over the springs, where summer lasts forever and winter is spent at the hearths of those who love you..." When she turned to Shad, her eyes were wide and glassy. "It's not like the city, where you don't know anybody. You know everybody in Ordon. And you love them all, and they all love you. I've missed them all so much."

"You never said so," Shad remarked. Ilia shrugged.

"I like you all very much, too. I've had a lot of fun with you and Link and Ashei. I don't know how I'll ever choose between the two lives I've been given..."

Shad's stomach did a somersault. "Maybe you don't have to," he said. "Maybe one of us could stay with you in Ordon, and..."

Ilia smiled at the ground. "Shad of Castletown, I do believe you just asked me to marry you."

"What- no!" cried Shad in utter embarrassment, sitting up very straight very quickly. Ilia grinned.

"Shame," she remarked and caught his eye. "I might have said yes."

She kept walking and Shad felt inclined to ask more questions.

"What did Link mean when he said that you had to ride in a wagon across monster territory?"

Ilia's face fell and she turned forward again. "During the dark days, we had to bring a dying Zora boy to Kakariko to seek medical attention. Telma and I rode in the wagon and Link guided us across the plain. He fought off hoards of monsters... they would shoot fire arrows at us, and the wagon went up in flames. More than once. I was never afraid of fire until then. Now I'm too scared to light a candle."

Shad sighed. "The war changed all of us. I know it made me afraid of nearly everything..."

Ilia glanced at him. "Do you mean... Shad, you don't consider yourself a coward, do you?"

"I don't know if 'coward' is the right term... I'd go with 'selective risk-taker.' It sounds much nicer but means the same thing."

Ilia's eyes were wide. "I don't think you're a coward," she said with a perfectly sincere expression.

Shad's lips turned up in a smirk of self-depreciation. "Everyone thinks I'm a coward," he said quietly.

"Not me."

"Yeah? Name one brave thing I've done."

"You were part of a resistance movement!" Ilia cried. "You challenged a ruthless king that many didn't dare to SPEAK of!"

"I never took up arms, though," Shad argued. "I never risked my life."

"Risking your life isn't what defines bravery," Ilia said. "You had the courage to pray for peace in a time when nearly everyone else was afraid of their own shadow. That sounds pretty daring to me."

Shad's face lit up. "You think so?"

"I KNOW so," Ilia answered, and she meant it, too.

Shad had one last question before he drew quiet again.

"You said this morning that you just realized something. About Link, I think. What was it?" Shad asked. Ilia frowned.

"It's the secret to Link's happiness."

"And that is?"

"Ashei," Ilia answered. "I wish it was me, but it's not. It's definitely her."

"But... But they're always fighting!"

"That doesn't mean they're not happy," Ilia theorized.

"No," said Shad quietly, thinking of how alive Link seemed around Ashei. "You're right, it... It doesn't mean that at all."

"We should stop and make a camp," said Ashei once the sun had started to set. "There's no way we'll make it to Ordon by nightfall."

"Yeah, all right," Link replied in agreement. They moved to the side of the road and Link dismounted for the first time that day, flexing his muscles. Ashei landed beside him and did the same.

"I'll look for firewood," Link said immediately. "You can set up camp. Sound good?"

"Uh, yeah," said Ashei, who was focused on something in the distance. "Hey, Link. Look over there." She pointed to the horizon, where a cloud of dust had formed and was getting bigger.

Link sighed. "Looks like we've got company." He reached for his sword, but Ashei stopped him.

"You get firewood," she said. "I'll take care of this. Probably just some travelers, yeah?"

"Yeah, some travelers _stampeding_ across Hyrule Field," Link said.

"Oh, that doesn't mean anything. Get us some firewood before it gets too dark to make a fire. I'll stay here."

Link eyed her with concern. "You sure?"

"_Link_," Ashei groaned. "I'm a soldier, remember? You don't need to worry about me."

Link stared blankly for a second. Then, he smiled. "Yeah, I know," he said, and he sheathed his sword, moseying off toward a line of trees bordering the field. "If I don't return..." he said melodramatically, and gave a short salute before pivoting on his heel and marching off.

_He seems better,_ Ashei thought to herself. She pulled a bundle of blankets off of Link's horse and spread them over the grass, lighting Link's oil lamp and hanging it from her belt. They were running low on oil; Ashei made a mental note to restock once they reached the village.

The sun continued to set and the travelers grew gradually closer. Ashei unstrung a satchel of food and supplies from her horse's saddle and threw it atop one of the blankets.

The sound of hooves grew louder behind her and she clutched the hilt of her sword instinctively. Where was Link? Nearly ten minutes had passed...

She turned around. The travelers were about fifty feet away and she recognized them now for what they were- finely dressed men, probably warriors of some sort, astride decorated horses. Ashei's shoulders tensed as the approaching men slowed down and then stopped not ten feet from where she was standing.

"Good evening," one of the men greeted. They were each dressed in a royal blue tunic with a silver breastplate and helmet. Ashei drew her sword cautiously.

"Hello," she said stiffly. The man frowned at her.

"Do not be alarmed," he said slowly. "We are not planning to hurt or rob you, if that's what you're afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of anything," said Ashei, wondering where on earth Link had gone to.

"Clearly not," said the man with a sneer. He raised a hand and the men who were with him- a company of eight- did the same. "Allow us to introduce ourselves," he said. "We are soldiers of Hyrule, and we are patrolling these roads on behalf of our kingdom's ruler."

Ashei eyed them skeptically. "You're not dressed like Hylian soldiers are supposed to be," she commented, and she raised her sword an inch or two.

The man raised his eyebrows. "I suppose you are privy to the goings-on of the Hylian army. Are you a knight yourself?"

"I'm a freelancer," she answered. "I don't work for Zelda."

"No, neither do we," the man said. "We have been hired by His Grace the chancellor of Hyrule, Chancellor Crevan."

Ashei's eyes widened. "What chancellor? When was he elected?"

"The Royal Council hired him just a few months ago," the man answered. "You don't mean to tell me the public wasn't informed?"

"No," she answered stiffly. "We weren't. And quite frankly-" she raised her sword- "that makes me pretty upset, yeah?" Ashei took a few steps forward. "I don't get it. Why would they need you when they already had an entire army? Unless..." Her eyes went suddenly very wide and her jaw dropped. "This Crevan- he's the one kicking everyone out of power, isn't he?!"

The soldier looked suddenly uncomfortable. "He is doing what is believed to best for the kingdom."

"Or for himself," Ashei countered, and she went tense, prepared to fight if she needed to. "I don't trust you, and I don't trust this Crevan."

"But you trust your princess," the soldier answered hotly, "and why?! Because she was born into her role! Surely blood doesn't define honesty. If you knew the evidence that has arisen against her recently, why, you'd be alarmed!"

"And what's that?" asked Ashei.

"Certainly you've heard that she's taken a vow to chastity. Would you believe that she hasn't held true to it?"

"What the _hell_ makes you say that?!" cried Link, and Ashei jumped. 'When did HE get here?'

"The princess has less privacy than she thinks she has. Creven likes to keep his acquaintances closely monitored."

Link dropped the newly acquired firewood and gripped the hilt of his sword in anger. "You'll leave the princess alone!" He threatened.

The man raises his eyebrows laughingly. "Shall we obey boy who so fiercely and readily defends Her Majesty despite the overwhelming evidence against her?" he asked, addressing his company.

"She's done nothing wrong and the whole lot of you are liars," Link concluded. "Zelda would never do anything-"

He was cut off by a roar of laughter from the soldiers. "It would seem that you and Her Majesty are on a first name basis."

"We _are_," Link responded through gritted teeth.

"Ah- forgive me," the man said, but there was no hint of sincerity in his apology. "I didn't realize that Princess Zelda kept the company of commoners."

"_Commoners_?!" Ashei stepped forward. "Do you know who he _is_?!"

"The girl is bold," said one of the soldiers coolly.

"Indeed," the leader answered, and he chuckled. "Of course I know who he is," he finally said. "Only an ignorant fool wouldn't recognize Hyrule's beloved _hero_. Tell me, boy, why do you tread the road that leads straight out of Hyrule? Surely you don't mean to abandon the people who revere you so strongly."

"We're going to the Ordona Province," Link said, just as Ashei said, "None of your beeswax."

"I see. On business?" the man questioned.

"On leisure," Link answered. The soldier nodded slowly.

"His Grace will be happy to hear that. Nobody likes a gadfly-"

Ashei raised her sword and was about to swing when Link grasped her arm and stopped her.

"I'm glad to know I'm so meaningful to this chancellor," Link said darkly. "You'd best be on your way. The sun's gone down and the cold's setting in." He made to turn away. "Tell Zelda I say hello."

The soldiers frowned decisively. "I'll relay the message. And I'll let her know where you've gone. She won't feel abandoned at all." And with this hint of sarcasm, the soldier beckoned his fellow men and they rode off.

Ashei sheathed her sword angrily. "We should have challenged them to a fight," she argued. "We could have taken them."

Link arranged the firewood and lit a match. "No. That would've been brash. Best for them to know that we're not completely tactless- now when they give their report to Crevan they'll speak of us with a little respect. Rushing into battle would have just gotten us killed. Talking it out was the wise thing. Zelda will be pleased."

Ashei shot him a look and then plopped down as the fire caught. For a minute she was quiet, and then she glanced at Link, who was staring intently into the fire. He had his hands folded under his chin and he was clearly deep in thought, so she didn't say anything. They ate in silence, and since Link was still deep in thought, Ashei announced that she was going to get some sleep. She pulled the blankets over herself and lay awake for a long time.

Before he went to sleep, Link placed a hand on Ashei's hair and whispered for her to rest well. He figured at that point that Ashei had been asleep for quite awhile, but the truth was that Ashei was still wide awake, and she heard every word of it.

**I typed this entire chapter on my iphone and I think I deserve a small medal.**

**Once again, I'm updating at the time of day (night?) when the archives are the most remote. I do this because I am busy. I am always busy. All the time I am busy. I am busy all the time.**

**That's not an excuse, by the way. Why do you think I had to write the chapter on my phone?**

**I hope that you will forgive me for being a total dumbass 99% of the time. This story has the continuity of an episode of Glee and I am deeply ashamed of that.**

**Until next time.**


	14. Chapter 14

Beth stood on her toes, arms outstretched toward the streams of white sunlight sifting through the fan of yellow leaves. The tips of her fingers brushed against the line strung through the branches and she hung a carefully crafted paper lantern from it. Then she leaned back and admired her work- that made 8 lanterns, now.

"Talo!" Beth called. "Talo, send up another lantern!" A few seconds passed with no reply. She sighed melodramatically. "Talo, I swear to gods, if this is another one of your- TALO!" she harrumphed at the sight of Talo, who had flopped down in the grass and was snoring quietly. "Boys..." she grumbled just as another voice cut in.

"Here, Beth, I'll help you."

It was Colin. Beth glanced down and a small blush crept across her face. Colin had gotten taller in the past few months. And his voice was deeper. He was thirteen, which made him _almost_ a man, which meant that Beth _almost_ had a crush on him. She smiled and accepted the outstretched lantern in Colin's hand, strung it among the others, and then frowned. She turned to Colin.

"Just 'cause you've grown six inches doesn't make you any less of a wimp," she reprimanded.

"You're welcome, Beth," said Colin with perfect composure.

"Yeah, yeah," Beth intoned. "Hand me another one of those lanterns, will ya?"

Colin handed her yet another of the paper ornaments and she frowned. She was running out of space, and the only empty section of line was quite a ways away...

Beth stretched for the line, straining her arms and back like elastic as she reached for the unoccupied expanse of line- yes- almost there-

"Got it!" she rejoiced as the lantern hooked around the line. "Yes- woah!"

And then she cried aloud as the ladder wobbled and collapsed from under her. Her body raced toward solid ground, and she didn't even have time to brace herself for impact before she realized that impact hadn't come...

"Gotcha!" Colin cried. "Wait- woah-"

And then Colin toppled over with Beth in tow. She landed across his chest with her face inches from his, and he just smiled.

"Saved you," he said, and as an afterthought, added, "...again."

Beth just huffed impatiently. "Still a wimp," she reminded him. A sudden outcry from across the village drew them both to her senses. It was Beth's father.

"Horses! Outta the way! Let 'em through!" Hanch yelled, and he ducked for cover as two horses came storming through the village, coming to a sudden halt in the center of the village. The first to dismount was a woman with long black hair, and Beth watched her curiously as the woman announced very loudly, "I won! I definitely won!" Beth took a few steps closer. The girl was quite pretty. And tall.

And then Beth's heart raced in excitement as the other figure dismounted, a broad-shouldered, handsome man in green...

"LINK!" she cried joyously, racing forward and clasping her hands together admiringly.

"Hi, Beth," he said, only half-paying attention to her.

"I knew you'd come back for me," Beth said dreamily. "Old Colin is such a bore..."

"No, I definitely won," Link now said, facing the girl that Beth didn't recognize.

"I'm not a bore," said Colin, cutting in. He took a few steps closer to Link and gaped up at him, stars in his eyes. "Hi, Link... Glad you're home. Do you"

"Oh, put a sock in it," said Beth gruffly. "He's here for ME. Right, Link?"

"What?" asked Link, turning back to the kids. "Oh- uh, yeah..." He faced his friend again. "If you think that you won, then you are _severely_ mistaken. I gave you a head start!"

"That was _your_ mistake," said the girl with a smile, and she flipped her hair dramatically behind her shoulder. Link grinned in spite of himself.

"Link, who's your friend?" Beth now asked, trying to brush off the hint of jealousy in her chest. This girl sure made Link smile...

"What's that? Oh. Uh. Beth, Colin, this is Ashei. Of Snowpeak."

Beth pouted. "Snowpeak? Is that a city?"

"No, it's-"

"Then I don't care," Beth decided, crossing her arms. She turned away and poked her nose into the air, realizing after a second that Colin was gaping at her. "What?!"

"Just because _you_ have a _crush_-"

"Do not!" cried Beth, fighting back another blush. "_You_ have a crush! Staring at Link with those stupid googily eyes of yours-"

"Is your dad here, Colin?" Link asked suddenly.

"Yes, he's at home," said Colin, and his face fell. "Uh, Link-"

"-Thanks, Colin!" Link answered, and he turned to leave.

"Wait" Colin cried, but Link was already running off with Ashei in tow. He watched after him longingly, and then a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

"Come _on_, Colin!" It was Talo. "These Fall Festival lanterns aren't gonna hang themselves!"

"Oh, _you're_ one to talk," Colin grumbled under his breath, but he followed Talo back to the big yellow tree anyway.

...

A knock on the door called Rusl to attention.

"Who's there?" he called, pulling his attention away from the hearth.

"It's Link and Ashei," the visitors answered, their voices muffled by the wood. Rusl perked up in interest. What were they doing in Ordon? He crossed his small, warm house, and then unbolted the door and opened it.

"Link? Ashei?" he asked, squinting against the morning sunlight. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter," Link answered, and there was something strange about his stature that Rusl couldn't quite put his finger on. Was it joyful? Sorrowful? It almost seemed a mix of both.

Ashei spoke up. "We thought we'd stop by, you know. Say hello, yeah? We're in town for the next few weeks."

Rusl's brow furrowed and he scrutinized the pair before him. There was definitely something strange about their sudden arrival.

"Uli's nursing," he finally said. "Would you mind stopping back later?"

Link and Ashei consented to this and trotted back off into the village, and then Rusl shut the door skeptically and turned back towards his wife.

"I'm not nursing," said Uli with a small smirk. "What'd you say that for?"

Rusl sat down beside her. "Something's strange about those two showing up all of a sudden. They didn't even write first." He caught her eye, and she just shrugged.

"I don't think there's anything strange about it," she remarked. "This is Link's home. He's welcome here whenever he pleases."

"Yes, but Uli," Rusl pressed, "Link hasn't been home in nine months. Why on Earth would be return home now?"

"I don't think that's any of _our_ business," Uli argued, and Rusl shook his head, getting to his feet.

"I think of Link as my son," he said. "I think whether he's feeling all right is definitely my business."

Uli frowned. "You suspect he's unwell?"

"I don't know," Rusl answered, "but I'm going to find out."

...

"HORSES!" cried Hanch in alarm, and once again he ducked for cover in a nearby pumpkin patch.

It was afternoon, now, and villagers perked up as two horses came galloping into the village, a rickety wagon in tow. They lined themselves up with the mayor's house and suddenly two figures leapt out, a man and a girl, and they scrambled for the mayor's front door. They burst through and the mayor glanced up from his writing desk in irritation.

"Oh, for the love of- Ilia?!" Bo cried, and Ilia zipped past him hanging onto a boy's wrist.

"No time to talk!" Ilia cried. "He's gonna blooow!"

And at the last second she grabbed an empty bucket, thrust it into the boy's arms, and turned her head away as he hurled into it. After a few seconds he surfaced and sighed in relief.

Bo glanced between the two, his expression demanding some sort of answer to his unasked question. Ilia chuckled.

"Motion sickness," she explained. "Shad's not as good at wagons as he thought."

Bo blinked a few times. "Who's Shad?"

The boy finished panting and then grinned. "I'm Shad," he said, offering his hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister Mayor."

Bo just stared at the boy's hand and frowned. "Uh..."

Ilia slapped Shad's hand down and just laughed. "Oh, you two will get along great! Father, Shad's a good friend of mine."

"You rode here together?" Bo questioned worriedly.

"Yes!"

"Together?"

"Well, yes."

"In a _wagon_?!" Bo cried in a blatant panic.

Ilia's smile faltered. "Father, what are you suggesting?!" she cried, and Shad coughed very loudly, his cheeks flooding with red. He adjusted his glasses uncomfortably.

"Oh," sighed Bo, clearing his throat, "nothing. May I ask what brings you home without writing?"

"Oh, we're here for the Fall Festival," Ilia bluffed. "I've brought a few friends with me, but they're going to need somewhere to stay. I was thinking Shad could stay in my room-"

"-Absolutely not," Bo cut in. Ilia sighed.

"Daaaad, I wasn't finished yet!" she sighed. "I was _going to_ say that Shad could have my room, and then Ashei and I can bring blankets into the wrestling room and sleep on the ring in there. It's plenty comfortable."

Bo considered this for a second before shaking his head. "Very well," he sighed. "But for the goddess' sakes, Ilia, _write_ next time you're going to turn my office into a tenant house!" He stood and made to leave. "I've got to deliver a letter," he grumbled. "You two stay here. And for the love of the gods, no _you know what _while I'm out!"

And he slammed the door shut on two very red-faced teenagers.

…...

"So this is where you grew up..." Ashei said, turning her head this way and that as she took in the sights and smells and overall feeling of the village. Air: clear and cool. Smells: sweet, but spicy, like pumpkins. Atmosphere: lively and crisp with the promise of a golden autumn.

And golden it was. Leaves glistened yellow and red and orange like fire in the chilly, mountainous climate. Paper lanterns were strung in the trees, awaiting that weekend's Fall Festival. Twilight was falling, now, and the last of the year's fireflies hung in the air, glistening faintly in one final farewell to summer.

The pair moseyed over near the creek and Link kneeled down beside it, dipping his hand into the water and letting the current stream through his fingers.

"In almost a month," he said, eyeing the water, "it will have been a year since everything started."

Ashei watched him with dark, wide eyes. Link. Strong, war-hardened jaw, expression drawn, eyes icy, like blue fire, muscles tight and tense against the fabric of the tunic, hair slightly tousled as the wind ruffled if mercilessly... She had a sudden, inexplicable crisis as she realized This Was Link and that There Was Only One Of Him. This was her friend Link, the boy who she often took for granted- and he WAS a boy, for Din's sake, he was hardly eighteen... It wasn't fair that a boy like this should be burdened with the memory of what had crafted his entire nature.

"You miss Midna a lot, yeah?" Ashei asked, and Link's reflection smiled faintly in the water.

"Of course I miss her. It's like... like a part of me is gone. Like... If somebody cut off your legs." He glanced at Ashei. "You're so used to having them, and so you would keep going to stand up, and then suddenly you would remember that you don't have them anymore, and you would fall. Well, it's like that with Midna. Every time I see something that reminds me of her... A person that she would find ridiculous, or a landscape that she would find beautiful, or a joke that she would laugh at..." He turned back to face the water. "But then... Well, then I go to call her out of my shadow. To get her attention, to say, 'Midna, look at this!' ...And then suddenly I remember. And after a whole year, you would think I would have been able to leave her behind me. But the truth is that you can't leave anything of that scale behind you. Especially not a girl like that. She was breathtaking, Ashei..."

Ashei was quiet, and Link leaned back on the heels of his palms. "But lately," he continued, "when I think of Midna, I think of you. Ashei, you and Midna are a hell of a lot alike. And I remember that I still have you here, and that there's only one of you, and I remind myself that I can't keep fighting with you all the time. I can't. Because I won't screw up this time, I won't lose you like I lost her..."

"Funny," said Ashei quietly.

"What's funny?"

Ashei shrugged. "I was just thinking the exact same thing."

Link continued to watch her out of the corner of his eye. When he spoke up, his tone was skeptical.

"Why did you come here?"

Ashei looked surprised. "Well- I mean- I'm your friend, and this is your home, and I know how you must be so eager to return here after so many months in Castle Town-"

"You don't know what home is, do you?" he interrupted. "You didn't have one growing up."

Ashei pressed her lips together firmly, face turning slightly pink. "No," she said quietly. "I didn't."

Link stretched his feet out in front of him and crossed his ankles, leaning back on his elbows and pulling out blades of grass as he spoke.

"You say that your father always wanted a boy and that your mother disappeared shortly after you were born. And since there was no hope for a son after that, your father made a son out of you."

Ashei was frozen. "That's all true."

"He probably pushed you to do things you weren't capable of, both physically and mentally, and probably punished you when you fell short..."

Ashei's eyes narrowed and she looked down. "I always fell short," she said, and it almost sounded aggressive.

"And so you ran away, from place to place, joining groups and cults, whatever it took to feel like you belonged somewhere-"

"Stop talking about it-" Ashei cut in, but Link didn't heed her warning.

"-But after awhile it became clear that you didn't fit in with anyone. So you joined the Resistance, not out of passion for Hyrule, but because it was one last attempt to have people who cared-"

"Stop it-"

"-And even now you're skeptical about how we feel about you. It makes you cold, it makes you afraid to reach out sometimes, and so you keep to yourself... Because you've been raised to trust no one. And after all this time..." he caught her eye. "After all this time, you still don't feel at home. And that's why you're here." He finished his speech, folding his hands behind his head and flopping back on the grass. Ashei was glaring at him.

"The _hell_ does that mean?!"

"It means that you're here because since you think it's my home, then it might feel like your home, too, because I- and I will say this with as much humility as I can- am the only person who you are openly attached to. I'm the only person that you claim to be wholly yours, even if the bond isn't romantic."

Ashei narrowed her eyes. "We'll aren't _you _full of yourself?!"

Link smirked. "You're wrong, though."

Now Ashei gaped at him in bewilderment. "Wrong about _what_?!"

"This isn't my home. Not anymore, anyway."

She scrutinized him. "Why not?!"

"I haven't been here in nine months. The people here are alien to me. They coo over a baby for I've never met, discuss a harvest I didn't plant, and the kids have grown and changed from children into teenagers. The war changed these people. They're not who they once were. No one is-" at this Link froze. Then he shut his eyes and turned on his side. "...No one is who they once were. This village is full of strangers."

Ashei shook her head. "That's not true."

"It IS true. Because _they_ don't know me, either. They think they know me but I've changed. You all say it yourselves. You say that I'm sick, that I'm mental..." He kept his eyes closed. "I know why you brought me here. I've known since the moment you proposed the idea. And Ashei, if you want to help me, then there's only one thing you can do."

Ashei was watching him intently now, wide-eyed. "...And that is?"

Link opened his eyes. Took her in. Frowned. "Don't treat me like I'm different," he begged, "because I'm not. People will say I saved Hyrule and that I'm a hero, but the truth is that there's nothing heroic about it. I killed hundreds of creatures and people, too. I've stuck a blade into a living body only to yank it out of a dead one, and Ashei, I know that that wasn't good for me. I know that I've been through tough times. I know I was sick when it was all over, that I wanted to die, that I took to drinking-"

"-You say it all so openly," Ashei cut in. "Like it doesn't bother you to say it."

"It's not like it's a secret!" Link finally cried. "You're right, I _am_ mental! I'm not in control of who I am sometimes! But it's not going to change if you go around behind my back talking about me under your breath. I just..." He turned away. "I just want to be treated normally, like I was a few months ago. Because, yeah, I've had some issues in the past, and I've got some issues now. It's going to be that way for awhile. But you can't treat me like a dying child. You have to be honest with me, and with everyone else, too. And we're going to have to face the way things are right now."

Ashei's face fell. "You talk like you don't _want_ to get better."

"If I'm being honest, I don't know if I want to get better. Because sometimes I think that feeling better will mean going numb. And I don't want to go numb, because Ashei-" he gripped her hand- "Going numb would mean forgetting everything that happened. And I don't want to forget."

…

"…Are you awake?"

It was a whisper from the other side of the sumo wrestling hut. Ilia's voice. Ashei gave a soft groan.

"Yup."

"Me too."

"Obviously."

Ilia paused. "I'm sorry I made you sleep in the wrestling ring."

"Nah, 's fine…"

"…Ashei?"

"What?"

Hesitation. "Nothing."

"_What?"_

Ilia huffed. "I can't sleep."

"Me neither."

They sat up in unison, the blankets sliding off of their shoulders, and peered at each other through the darkness.

"Honesty time. Why can't you sleep?" asked Ilia.

"I'm worried about Link, obviously," Ashei answered. "Why can't _you _sleep?"

"I'm worried about Shad."

"What—why?"

"Because… because, I don't know, he's in my room, and Dad thinks he and I are a _thing_, and what of Dad skins him because of it…?"

Ashei smirked. "You're worrying over nothing. Why don't we get out of here and do something?"

"Might as well," Ilia answered. "My mind won't stop whirring…"

They staggered to their feet and kept the blankets wrapped around them as they crossed the room tenderly, pushing the wooden door open with a _squeak. _Bo's snores came rumbling from the other side of the room and the girls crept across as quietly as they could, trying to reach the front door without rousing the mayor. Ilia stepped on something as she went—it gave a soft _squeak_—and for a moment all was silent as Bo's snores ceased. For a few pressing seconds there was a fear of waking him, and then the snores picked up once more, and the girls snuck out successfully.

The air was cool and the moon high. Crickets chirped in the grass, the cold, clean water trickled in the distance, and from somewhere in the night an owl hooted. Ashei took a few steps farther into the village; there was no one else outside.

She could feel Ilia's presence behind her and she realized that this was the first time the two of them had been alone; _really _alone, not like the times when Link and Shad were one room over and could hear everything they said. This was just them, just the two girls, in a village where everyone but them was sound asleep and they were the only souls that stirred.

Ilia didn't say anything and Ashei didn't expect her to, so a few moments passed silently before the mayor's daughter spoke.

"I know that Link's condition scares you, Ashei. It scares me, too. But we can't let it take over our lives." She sighed and pulled her blankets tighter. "I think that it's important that we look after him, I do. But Link is his own person. We can't strip him of his independence, that's not fair. And besides, we're our own people, too. We have our own lives, and our own problems, and… well, we might have to get used to facing those on our own. We can't keep using Link as a distraction from the things that are important to us, too. Because we don't know if… well, as far as Link is concerned, you know him, there's no guarantee that he'll always be around…"

A pit formed in Ashei's stomach that felt remarkably like alarm. "Are you suggesting that—"

"I'm suggesting that we don't lose our own individuality in the midst of all of this," Ilia finished. She was staring furiously at her feet. "A few months ago, I feel like we were all really happy. Even when all of this was beginning, when Link was starting to get sick… you see, the first night I was with you guys, Link and I had a pretty bad fight. He told me I didn't understand anything, and I never told you, because I knew you hated me."

"I don't—"

"—Not anymore you don't," Ilia finished. "I should have realized right then and there that things weren't right. I should have done something to stop it. But instead I kept telling myself that everything was okay, that I was just making a big deal out of things. You were the only one who realized something was wrong. And so you unleashed this whole thing, you realized what was happening, and Link kept getting sicker… I kept trying to stop you because I thought you were going to hurt him. But I realize now that that's not what I was afraid of at all. I wasn't afraid of Link getting hurt. I was afraid of things changing. I didn't want anything to change." She was crying, now, and Ashei wished there was something she could do to stop it.

"Ilia—"

"—Let me talk," Ilia demanded. "I wanted Link to be the same boy I grew up with. I wanted him to be that stupid, silly troublemaker I knew as a child. I didn't want the war to change him. All I wanted was to laugh with Link and Shad and you forever, and then you insisted on changing that, and I hated you for it. I hated that you could waltz in and disrupt everything, and I also hated that you could get away with it. I hated that there was somebody in the world who understood Link better than I did, who made Link happy when I couldn't, who he trusted more than he trusted me. And so I got angry with you. And tried to stop you. And I'm so, so glad that I failed. Because Ashei…" she caught her eye and Ashei's heart faltered in her chest at the sight of the teary-eyed girl.

"Yeah?" Ashei took a step forward and gripped Ilia's hand. Ilia sniffed.

"I'm glad that I failed, because I realize now how important you are. You're the key to this. You make Link really happy, while the rest of us can only ever make him _fake _happy. Because while I understood Link before the war, you're the only person left who understands Link _after _the war. And that's what he needs. Someone who understands. And I can't do that for him."

Ashei stood still as Ilia collapsed forward into an embrace that she hadn't anticipated. She stood there for a second in slight bewilderment, and then she stepped back, leaving the girl to her own devices.

"Stop this," Ashei commanded, and Ilia gaped at her in utter shock.

"Ashei—please—"

"I know you're upset, but you said it yourself." Ashei's hands found . "We can't lose who we are over this. We can't get to feeling sorry for ourselves. Link can't have a bunch of blundering idiots at his aid, yeah?"

"Ashei—"

"I've gone through a fair share of pain in my life. We all have. It's made us who we are, and as soon as we start feeling bad about it, we're going to lose sight of that. Link's condition is just another trial that we're going to have to face. And you're right, there's no sense in fooling ourselves into thinking that things haven't changed. Everything has changed. But crying about it won't change a thing."

"Have mercy…" Ilia said quietly, and Ashei just turned away.

"I don't have any mercy for you, Ilia of Ordon. I think it's foolish that you display such weakness in a time where we must push ourselves to be strong. If you think that I'm not just as terrified, as desperate, as upset as you are, then you're wrong. My heart's breaking for Link. But I'm not going to fall to pieces over it. I owe it to Link to pull myself up by the bootstraps and keep on going, yeah?"

Ashei could hear Ilia give a long sniff from behind her before drawing back inside the house. The door creaked open, and Ilia's voice drifted across the garden before she shut it.

"Don't bother following me back inside. You're not welcome in my house anymore."

And then the door slammed shut, and Ashei was left alone as usual.

**UGH BORING CHAPTER. Thank you for dealing with me, I am, &c...**

**The next chapter heralds the (long-awaited?) Fall Festival, where there will finally be something besides just dialogue. There will be politics, there will be romance, there will be… Telma? **

**Thank you all for 50+ favorites and 60+ follows. Much obliged. :)**


	15. Chapter 15

The morning of the Fall Festival dawned with promising clarity. The sun peered up from behind the mountains and washed the sky with red, and it slowly transitioned from red to orange to yellow to blue over the next few hours until the sun was blazing overhead in a cloudless sky.

Link awoke to the sunlight shining right onto his face and yawned, trying to drain last night's dream from his mind. It had been remarkably inappropriate. Better not let Ashei find out... He turned to get out of bed...

"-Woah! Ashei!"

Ashei's eyes bolted open and she glared up at him from her spot on the floor.

"Trying to sleep," she reminded him, and Link just stared incredulously.

"Why are you- how did you-"

"Really should lock your doors at night," Ashei added, and turned away. Link just gaped in bewilderment from the mattress.

"I thought you were staying with Ilia."

"Nope."

"But... Why?"

...

"You kicked her out of your house?!"

Ilia's eyes widened and she tried to slam the door shut at Link's accusation. His hand stopped the door mid-swing and he let himself into the house.

"Okay, first of all, you had no right to do that. This is the mayor's house, not yours. Ashei was _his_ guest, too. Second of all, where did you think she was going to go? She doesn't know anybody in this village and it was cold outside!"

Ilia backed away as Link advanced toward her, dodging several pieces of furniture and ending up opposite Link over the dining table.

"I'm sorry!" she squealed, ducking down a little bit. "I was tired, it was late-"

"Liar," Link said immediately, brushing off the comment completely. "You wouldn't even- OW!" he cried as an apple clunked against his forehead. He rubbed it aggressively. "Ilia!"

"She was being really rude, okay?!" Ilia cried, and ducked for cover even though Link had no intentions of hurting her back. "Listen, Link, she was being mean to me! Victimizing me! She told me I was weak, told me I was feeling sorry for myself and that that made me useless to you... It really hurt."

Link had grown still. "...Feeling sorry for yourself?"

"Never mind that," Ilia huffed. "It's just... I want to do everything I can to be important to you. But it's become clearer over these past few weeks that there's nothing I can do to help you, and..." She hung her head.

"...And?"

"And I want to be there for you, Link, I do. I want to make you happy but I know now that I can't. Everything Ashei said was true. I knew that the moment she said those things. But I didn't want to admit it to myself... I've been awfully afraid of that lately."

"Afraid of...?"

She caught his eye. "Afraid of realizing that you and I have fallen apart. Afraid of admitting that I don't matter."

Link stared at her vacantly for a second. And then he leapt over the table and pulled Ilia into an embrace, holding her so tightly that she thought she might pop.

"You _do_ matter, Ilia. You've always mattered, you always will matter more than everyone else combined."

Ilia sniffed. "You mean it?"

"Of course I mean it."

"But you're in love with Ashei. Don't deny it, it's really obvious."

Link's grip slackened a bit. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. "And you think that makes me love you any less?"

"I-"

"-I'll always love you, Ilia. You know that. So don't think for one _second_ that any part of what Ashei said is true. Arguing over me was a stupid thing to do."

Ilia screwed her eyes shut to hold back any tears that might be trying to escape. And then she fell back into Link's arms.

"I love you, Link."

"I know, Ilia. Love you too." And then, for closure, he placed a kiss on her forehead.

...

Shad woke up to the slamming of a door downstairs. Well then.

The voices after that were muffled. He couldn't tell who was down there, only that their tone of voice was very passionate. He slipped out of Ilia's empty bed and pulled his bathrobe around his shoulders. Coffee. Coffee. Needed coffee. He grabbed his book off the nightstand and used it to muffle a yawn before placing his glasses on his nose and moseying downstairs.

He realized suddenly that it had gone very quiet, and stopped short halfway down the staircase.

"...You think that makes me love you any less?!"

It was Link. But... Who...

"I'll always love you, Ilia. You know that. So don't think for one _second_ that any part of what Ashei said is true. Arguing over me was a stupid thing to do."

Shad froze in horror. But Ilia... But Link... They were completely platonic! They'd made that so clear!

"I love you, Link," Ilia said, and Shad's heart dropped into his stomach. But... No, this couldn't be...

"I know, Ilia. Love you too."

Shad poked his head down just in time to see Link plunk a kiss in Ilia's hair. He drew back immediately in terror and pressed himself against the wall. How was this even happening?

He dragged himself back upstairs and plopped down in front of Ilia's vanity. He figured it was a stupid thing to do, but he sat and stared himself down, anyway.

Nose long, eyes wide. Glasses placed crookedly in the middle Hair always swooping off to the side in ways he couldn't control. Ears long, hands big and clumsy. Wrists and arms slim...

He untied the bathrobe and let it fall around his hips. Shoulders: very slim. Chest and stomach flat, ribcage nearly showing. He yanked the bathrobe back up and slumped over, his chin falling into his hands.

Oh yeah, chin: pointed. Thin. Anything but masculine.

Why would a beautiful girl like Ilia fall for anyone like Shad? Of _course_ she would want Link, he was the hero, for Nayru's sake. He was strong, he was handsome, he was the ranch-hand with the broad, charming smile and a deep, smoky voice that made all the ladies swoon. The literal embodiment of the ideal man.

And Ilia... Well, Shad was quick to label Ilia as the perfect girl. She WAS the perfect girl. Silly and strange and optimistic and drop-dead gorgeous. Shad's stomach turned just thinking about all of it. Ilia who liked horses and rivers and suction-cup frogs, who liked the rainbows over the springs and who loved Telma with all her heart, Ilia who told Shad he was brainy and her best friend and who thought for SURE that he could be a doctor.

Ilia who Shad had fallen in love with, was in love with someone else.

And that killed.

...

"A little to the left... No, to the right... Scratch that, back to the left... No, that's not right-"

"-Oh, for Gods' sakes!" cried Jaggle, dropping his end of the long feast table with a _crash_. "You've been doing this all morning, Mayor Bo!"

The rest of the men murmured in agreement, and the feast table found its final resting spot in the center of the village.

"Forgive me," Bo sighed. "I just want everything to go smoothly tonight. This is the first time my Ilia's been home in several months, and I don't want her thinking we don't care 'bout anything..."

"She already thinks that!" Jaggle remarked. "Your daughter's seen sixteen of these festivals already! What makes this one any different?!"

Bo sighed and leaned forward onto the table. "This is the first one we've had since the war," he stated. Jaggle, Hanch, and Rusl nodded solemnly.

"Of course," Rusl said. "We should have thought of that."

The conversation stopped short as the kids came swooping into the area.

"Finished! We're all finished!" Beth cried, pulling on her father's hand. "Come and see, come and see!"

Hanch rolled his eyes but followed his daughter as she dragged him to the giant trees in the middle of the village, all of them decorated with strings of colorful paper lanterns.

"Wonderful," he said dryly.

"Colin's getting fairies from the spring to go inside the lanterns!" Beth added admiringly. "Oh, and look, look at this!" She dragged her father along and the others followed curiously. "Look, Talo's making Jack o' Lanterns!"

Talo looked up from where he was carving pumpkins and grinned. Jaggle gasped from nearby.

"Yo!" he cried in alarm. "Don't waste food!"

"We're not wasting food!" Talo grumbled at his father. "Ilia's gonna make pumpkin pies outta what's left over!"

"Ilia said she'd make pumpkin pies?" Bo remarked.

"Well, not _yet_," Beth sighed. "But she will! She's super nice."

"Say that again, kid," somebody muttered from nearby, and everyone glanced up to see Ashei walking past.

"Ashei? Where are you going?"

"To meet Link," she answered. "He's supposed to be up at the ranch right now."

"Oooookay," said Talo. "Anyway, Ilia will make pumpkin pies..."

...

Rusl made the ascent to the ranch with little difficulty. He climbed the hill and peered over the fence. Sure enough, Link and Ashei were together.

They were both astride horses, riding near each other and laughing about something. The horses galloped at an unsteady pace, Ashei's horse taking a few steps in front of Link's before doing a 180 so Ashei could face him. A few more paces, and the steeds were parallel once more.

Rusl observed Link for a minute- he was sitting up straight, shoulders back, but relaxed. He watched Ashei with a grin on his face and then threw his head back and laughed when she said something. Without any warning, Ashei drew her feet out of the stirrups and threw herself across the gap to land behind Link on Epona. She landed perfectly, as if she'd been doing it for years, and threw her arms around Link's shoulders, both of them laughing at something as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Rusl had been meaning to have a serious discussion with Link and Ashei. After all, he had many unanswered questions. And yet he knew at that moment that there was no reason that he should interrupt them; he hadn't seen such profound happiness on Link's part in a long time.

And so he turned and began the tread back to the village, leaving Link and Ashei to themselves.

...

The kids crowded around as Ilia pulled the final pie out of the brick oven. She placed it among the others and they all inhaled deeply; pumpkin pie, spicy, but sweet.

"Mmmm," said Beth, clasping her hands adoringly. "You're such a good cook, Ilia."

"She'll make the perfect wife," Talo remarked, and Beth glared at him.

"Women don't just have to be cooks if they don't want to!" she claimed, crossing her arms. "Right, Shad?!"

Shad was on the other side of the room, his nose buried in a thick book. He mumbled something incoherent.

"See? Shad agrees with me."

"ARE you gonna get married, Ilia?" Talo now asked, leaning forward on the wooden table. Ilia shrugged.

"Yes. I think I will."

"Someday soon?" Malo pressed.

"This town could use a good wedding," the elder brother remarked.

"But who would you marry?" asked Beth eagerly.

Ilia gave a slight smile. "Oh, I don't know," she intoned.

"Liar!" cried Beth. "You have someone in mind! Who is it?!"

"_Ilia has a crush, Ilia has a crush_," Talo sang.

"Is it Link?" asked Colin immediately.

"Oh, I'm not saying," Ilia replied. "Everyone knows the old legend: if you reveal who you're in love with, they'll never love you back."

"But what if they _already_ love you back?"

Ilia smiled sadly. "I think anyone would be silly to love me back right now."

There was another murmur from the other side of the room. Ilia and the children glanced over to see Shad peering up from behind his book.

"What's that, Shad?"

"I said, I don't think that."

"Think what?"

"That somebody is being silly to love you back. Somebody is very lucky to have you love them."

"So you say."

"So I _do_ say," Shad remarked. He had gone rather pink in the face. He ducked back into the cover of his book again, and Ilia might have said something else if the door hadn't burst open at that exact moment.

"Ilia, honey! Shad, honey! Little honeys! Come here, let Auntie Telma give y'all a squeeze!"

The rather large woman slammed the door behind her and let her suitcases clatter to the ground. It took her all of two strides to gather Ilia into a tight embrace, and when she released her she gathered Shad out of the armchair and pulled him into an embrace as well, crutch and all. When Shad was released, his expression was mortified.

"Ooh, pumpkin pie! My favorite!"

"Uh- those are for tonight- Telma, what are you doing here?"

"Isn't tonight the Fall Festival?!" she exclaimed. "I couldn't miss it!"

Ilia and Shad eyed her skeptically.

"Are you... sure about that?" Shad asked, who was still recovering from the hug.

"Shad, honey, 'course I am!" Telma exclaimed excitedly. She turned to Ilia. "Word on the street is that we have to dress up for this thing tonight. Why don't we give each other a hand getting ready?"

Ilia blinked. "Now?!"

"Yup. Over here. No, over here! Follow me, honey!"

And they marched upstairs together, suitcases and all.

...

When Telma was positive she and Ilia were in privacy, she threw the suitcases aside and gazed at the girl with surprising urgency.

"I came as quickly as I could," she began. Ilia's eyes widened.

"What's wrong?!"

"Princess Zelda has released an official announcement that she will be sharing power with a new elected official, Chancellor Crevan."

Ilia smiled. "Why, that's wonderful! Unless... Isn't it wonderful?"

Telma shook her head. "Not wonderful. Not at all. Ilia, honey, this is all of it, don't you see?! Renado losing his position, the disruption of other leaders- the entire Hyrulian Army has been disbanded and replaced!"

"Why are you telling me, and not Link?!" cried Ilia.

"Because I trust you to keep it secret."

"Why in earth would I keep it secret?"

"Because... Well, you know how things have been with those other three. Up and down, quite tumultuous... I want them to enjoy tonight. Especially Link. You understand?"

Ilia stood quietly for a moment. Then, she nodded.

"Of course I understand... Who would I be not to?"

...

The sky shone golden with the slowly setting sun, and the colors settled over the village with a bright, promising glow. The fiery leaves rustled in the autumn breeze and the spicy scent of pumpkins wafted through the warm, thick air. The trees sparkled with paper fairy lanterns, Talo's Jack O' Lanterns lined the riverbank, and the glen echoed with the sound of Hanch's fiddle. The long feast table had been set with a white tablecloth, and it was set with food from one end to the other- goat, lamb, pig, potatoes, squash, stews with celery and onions and meet and barley, spices, garlic, mushrooms, pies, cakes, fruit, ale, wine, even whiskey.

The villagers milled around the center of the village, children banding together around the feast table and eyeing its contents greedily. Others danced to the sound of the fiddles. Others still played games that the children had set up, particularly a ring toss, or they bobbed for apples, which Shad declared was disgusting and likely ridden with disease.

Link sat on the outskirts of it all, watching the scene from his spot atop a boulder bordering the river. He caught sight of Ilia, who looked quite pretty in a plain purple dress, and Shad, who looked slightly downtrodden. Shad was gazing at Ilia openly, eyes wide and sad and longing, and Link only smirked. Shad had fallen. Hard. So why did he seem so sorrowful about it? Link dragged his eyes back to Ilia, who was dancing to the tune of the fiddle with some of the children, and then glanced back to Shad, who couldn't take his eyes off of her. He looked like he'd fallen in love only to lose her, which was confusing, because Ilia wasn't in love with anyone else... Right?

After a few more seconds Link dared to look at Ashei, who looked drop-dead gorgeous to him. She was wearing a golden tunic and had woven a mum through her braided hair. Link supposed that she had done this back at the mayor's house, but he was still unaware of how well- or poorly, for that matter- Ashei and Ilia were getting along after last night's row. Link didn't know _why_ he thought she looked so beautiful. She really didn't look much different from usual, except for the way the light fell on her and the small smile on her face and the way she had swept her hair off to one side...

She looked more feminine than usual, and Link supposed he liked being reminded that she was a girl, a real, palpable, human being that was a girl and that was there in front of him. A girl that was living, breathing, barely ten feet away. Real. There. Not just a memory that he had immortalized, perfected, made an object of an impossible fantasy. Not like Midna.

No, Ashei was better than Midna. She was like a piece of Midna that the goddesses had left in Hyrule for Link alone, and she never ceased to amaze him. She was there to give him a kick in the pants, to keep him going, to keep him_ feeling_.

And it was there, sitting on that boulder in Ordon Village, that Link had an important epiphany. He realized in that moment that Ashei was the keystone of his life. She filled the gap in his chest that Midna had left- no, scratch that. The gap Midna left would always be there. But Ashei had filled a gap right _next_ to Midna's gap, which was pretty much the same thing, but different. And Link appreciated that. He appreciated that in a way he couldn't begin to describe.

He noticed suddenly that Ashei was staring back at him, and tore his eyes away. She was at his side in seconds.

"Keeping a lookout?"

"I tend to," Link answered, and Ashei smirked, plopping down beside him.

"Look at Shad," she scoffed with a grin. "He's a lovesick little puppy, and everyone knows it but Ilia."

"No kidding."

Ashei scrutinized Link. "Why the long face?"

"It's nothing."

"It's something. Tell me!"

Link shifted in sudden discomfort. "I just think that... I don't know how to explain it..."

"Go on."

"It's corny."

"So?" Ashei pressed.

"So I think... I think I'm very lucky to have you. All of you!" he added hastily. "You and Shad and Ilia and... Telma?!"

He whipped his head to the side as Telma came marching into the heart of the celebration. She was overcome with some strong sense of initiative, and Link was just beginning to wonder what she was up to when she grabbed Mayor Bo and dragged him to the edge of the party.

"Look over there," Link said, nodding in Telma's direction. "What is she doing?"

"Looks like she knows something, yeah?" Ashei mused.

"Has she been here all day?" Link continued.

"I thought I saw a new horse outside of Ilia's house, but..." Ashei glanced at Link, they nodded in unison, and then they both hopped very suddenly off of the boulder and dashed across the lawn to where Ilia was dancing with the children. Link gripped her wrist and she was whisked off to the side with a small gasp.

"When did Telma get here?" he asked. Ilia's eyes widened.

"This afternoon, but-"

"Why?"

"She- she wanted to be here for the festival, so she-"

"Lies," cried Ashei quickly.

"I'm not lying! I mean, I'm sort of lying, but Link-"

"Ilia! This is-"

"LISTEN TO ME! Gods, when you two are on to something, you get all worked up and never stop to listen! I was going to say that Telma was here to deliver a message, but she didn't want you to know what it was until later."

"Why?!"

Ilia hesitated. Then, with a sigh, admitted, "Because it's not good news."

Link and Ashei paused in their speech, and then drew back.

"Well... what is it, then?"

"It's about Princess Zelda. Oh, gosh. Telma will kill me for this. Um. Okay." Ilia exhaled and combed her hand through her short, feathery hair. "You know how all of these rulers are being booted out of power? Well, Princess Zelda is sharing power with-"

Link stood up straight very suddenly. "-Chancellor Crevan," he finished.

Ilia narrowed her eyes. "You already know?"

"We had a run in with some soldiers," Ashei proclaimed. Ilia groaned and threw her arms up in apparent exasperation.

"Well doesn't that just _figure_?!" she cried. "I got _so nervous_ about keeping that a secret, and the lot of you already knew." She turned on her heel. "I'm going to get a slice of pie."

"Wait!" Link shouted, and Ilia stalled. "Why did Telma want you to keep it a secret?"

Ilia didn't even bother to turn around. "She wanted you to enjoy the evening," she answered, and continued on her way.

Link and Ashei gave each other a very odd look.

"Apparently Telma thinks we've never seen worse than a suspicious chancellor," he joked, and started walking. Ashei was slow to follow.

"I don't think it's the chancellor that she thought would worry us," she decided. "A greedy politician is nothing we can't handle."

Link stopped walking and turned around. "Well what are we all worried about?"

"Zelda," Ashei answered quickly. "Telma's alarmed because Zelda's losing her resolve. She's letting someone take over, and that's exactly what happened last time. She didn't fight hard enough. She never does-"

"Stop," Link said quickly. "Stop saying that. Princess Zelda has a lot of heart. She knows what she's doing. You've never been involved in politics, so who are you to judge?" And he marched on his way. Ashei scrambled behind him.

"It's always her! No matter the circumstance, you'll always defend her! Why?"

"She gave me aid when I didn't want it. Princess Zelda saved my life!"

"Is that why you fell in love with her?!" Ashei cried.

Link turned around very quickly. "It's none of your business whether I was ever in love with her."

"It's been my business ever since you kissed me a week ago!"

Link held her gaze for a second. Then he turned on his heel and marched off without another word.

Ashei sat back down on the boulder and scowled. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder a few seconds later and glanced up irritably.

"Piss off, Ilia," she grumbled, and her face fell into the crook of her arm.

"There's no use grumping about him," Ilia said. "Better to just brush it off. Link will come around sooner or later. He always does with you."

"I said piss off."

"It's true, though," Ilia continued, and fell silent for a moment. "I want to apologize for how I acted last night. I didn't have any right to kick you out of my house."

Ashei didn't answer, so Ilia kept talking.

"But at the same time, I don't think you had any right to say those things to me. I opened my heart up in front of you and you shot me down. You made me feel worse than I already did. And I think that was terribly rude of you. Terrible rude."

"Probably," Ashei grunted, and Ilia gave a tiny smile.

"Sometimes you seem to forget about the rest of us," Ilia said. "Especially me. You forget that I'm younger than the rest of you. And that I've seen less than the rest of you. The truth is too big for me, and while it's not your job to know better, I still think that you could have been a little more considerate."

She stood up and offered a hand. "I'm not going to take the blame off of my shoulders, but I'm not taking it off of yours, either. Neither of us our perfect. I think it's time that we settled our differences and carried on like nothing happened."

Ashei finally withdrew her head from her arms. Ilia was eyeing her with clear sincerity. With a sigh, Ashei took Ilia's hand and was helped to her feet. She gave the small hand a squeeze, and then dropped it.

"You're right," Ashei said. "You're right, you're completely right about all of it. I was wrong to say those things, and you were wrong to react that way..."

She glanced around the village. Children and adults danced to the music, and the girls' skirts whirled like currents of violet, orange, and red. The feast table was laden with steaming food, the fires burned warm and inviting in the cool, darkening air, and there was something about that moment that made Ashei want to stay forever.

"You have a life I've never had. People who love you more than I'll ever be loved. And a home to return to. You'll have to forgive me for being more than a little jealous, yeah?"

Ilia smirked sadly and walked beside Ashei as they returned to the party.

"You're not unloved," Ilia promised her. "I know you think you are, but you aren't. Um... Do you want to dance with me?"

Ashei smirked. "Seems a little..."

"Nah," said Ilia quickly, and she pulled Ashei out to where the others danced. They moved to the rapid stream of music, and after a second both girls were giggling at the absurdity of it all.

"You see," Ilia said, "I don't think you and I are as different as you think we are. I mean, sure, I don't go off fighting hobgoblins or whatever-"

"-Bulblins-" Ashei cut in.

"-Same difference," Ilia commented. "See, none of that has to matter."

Ashei was quiet for a second as the dancing slowed down. Then, she stopped moving altogether.

"I don't want it to matter," she decided. Ilia smiled.

"Me neither."

The moment was glorious, and altogether too short, for suddenly the fiddle stopped, and Hanch gave an outcry of, "HORSES!"

Chaos ensued as villagers disbanded in separate directions, making way for a throng of horsemen- at least two dozen of them. They stormed into the village and stopped in ranks of two, the horses stamping and shaking their reins.

Ashei stepped forward, recognizing the men immediately. _Crevan's soldiers._

"What is going on here?" she demanded. One soldier lifted his cap and peered down at her.

"We are here under the orders of His Grace, Chancellor Crevan. This district is hereby under immediate observation by our legion. Who is the leader here?"

The villagers crowded together nervously. After a few seconds, Bo broke free of the group.

"I am mayor here," he announced. The soldiers scowled.

"I see," one of them said, and gave a light chuckle. "Very well. You are now on approval by our legion. We will scrutinize your history and behavior, and report our findings to the chancellor."

"That's not fair!" Ilia cried suddenly, bursting forward. Ashei grabbed her shoulders and held her back.

"We will be staying for several weeks, at least," the soldier continued, disregarding Ilia's outburst. "I expect that you will be hospitable in accommodating us."

"You'll get no such thing!" Talo screamed, and several of the children hollered in protest. They were shushed immediately by an exasperated Rusl, who stepped forward.

"It would be an honor to play host to embassies of His Grace," Rusl said, and Ashei felt slightly disappointed that an honorable man like Rusl would resort to flattery. "We hope," Rusl continued, "that you will find us deserving."

Ashei cast a glance over to Link, who looked ready to burst, and then to Shad, who was clearly terrified. Finally, she turned her gaze to Ilia, whose eyes were wide with apprehension.

"We thank you on behalf of His Grace," the soldier declared, and Ashei couldn't help but detest the amusement in the soldier's voice. She was tempted to protest, but something told her that this time was different than other times. This time, protesting wouldn't work.

The soldier smirked. "The next several weeks shall be quite enjoyable," he decided. "Now, where is your rancher? We must find suitable resting places for the steeds!"

Fado stepped forward meekly. "The ranch is up this way, Sirs," he said, and led the soldiers up the dusty trail to where the stables were. Once they had dispatched, the villagers glanced at each other nervously.

"Do not fear," said Rusl quietly, gathering the villagers round. "We will find a way through this. We will all be quite all right..."

But Ashei could sense the lie behind his words.

**Next chapter: The soldiers are in town on investigation, ruining seemingly everything. When Link is challenged to a duel, he must choose between his passion for the villagers and his moral values...**

**New goal: let's get this puppy up to 100 reviews. I've never hit 100 before! It would be very meaningful to me. Plus, I'm being quarantined for radioactive treatment, so you can do it as a get-well present. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

"Look at them," said Talo darkly, eyeing the lot of soldiers seated around a hearth. "Making themselves at home. Bunch of twats, they are." He whistled loudly. "Hey meatheads!"

Colin reached over and clapped a hand over Talo's mouth. "Shut up, Talo! They're going to decapitate us if you don't watch your mouth!" He pulled his hand away as Talon bit it angrily.

"I won't have it!" Talo cried, and his brother glared at him.

"I know goats who are smarter than you," Malo remarked.

"Really," sighed Beth, who was filing her nails ten feet over. "You ought to act more civilized. They are soldiers of Hyrule. They're from the city."

"That's goat crap, Beth, and you know it," Talo remarked. "You just think they're _handsome_."

Beth blushed violently. "Well aren't _you_ full of yourself, Mister Angry Pants..."

"You wanna go?"

"Not this again..." sighed Colin, whose attention was soon diverted to Link, who was walking in their direction. He had just exited the mayor's house.

"He looks tired," said Beth, who had stopped bickering, and had glanced up.

"Yeah, he does..." Colin mused. Link came closer.

"Colin. Can you come with me?" he asked. Colin's face lit up with delight at his idol's request.

"Yes. Yes, of course! Where are we going?" he asked.

"Just for a walk."

"But it's dark out..."

"That's okay. C'mon," Link helped Colin up, and they set off across the village. Link was quiet for awhile, and Colin could sense him tensing up when they passed the encampment of soldiers.

There were six tents in all, four men to a tent, which had all been set up after the command to clean up everything involving the Fall Festival. The party had ended early- usually it lasted all night- and the children had been heartbroken when the adults announced that there would be no fireworks that night. Usually, Fado would set them off in the middle of the night, and it was usually the highlight of the celebration.

But this year there would be no such luck.

"Maybe next year," Pergie had comforted Talo when he cried over the cancellation of the fireworks.

"Commander Rasire has decided to lodge at your house," Link began, and Colin let out a groan.

"You mean the mean guy that rode at the front of the group?" he asked.

"Yeah," Link answered. Colin trudged angrily beside him.

"This stinks," he decided.

"I agree. Colin, things are changing around here. You know that, right?"

They had reached the outskirts of the village and Colin faced Link and frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that..." Link stooped down so that his face was level with Colin's. "Bo might not be mayor for much longer. We might get a new mayor."

Colin frowned. "You can tell me the truth, Link. I'm not a child anymore."

Link felt a pang in his chest as he comprehended exactly what Colin was saying. It was yet another reminder that he and the people of Ordon Village were on two different wavelengths.

He stood up straight and cleared his throat. "Right. I know that. Colin, listen these guys-" he jerked a thumb toward the soldiers- "are not to be trusted. They're shady, Chancellor Crevan is shady, it's all very strange. I don't understand exactly what's going on but as soon as I get back to Castle Town I'm going to consult my friend Auru about it."

"But what's your point?" asked Colin, and Link looked him dead in the eye.

"My point," Link said, "is that this town needs someone to look after it. Your father will return to Hyrule eventually, and Mayor Bo might not be in charge much longer. And gods know I won't stick around to keep an eye on the place." He rested a hand on Colin's shoulder. "I want you to promise me that you'll look out for Ordon Village when the rest of us can't."

Colin was stunned. "...Me?"

"Of course you," Link answered. "You're the obvious choice."

Colin smiled in spite of the circumstances. "The obvious choice?"

"Oh, yeah," said Link. "By far."

And he wasn't lying.

…

The presence of soldiers in Ordon Village for the first time in years really offset the attitudes of the townsfolk. For one thing, Crevan's soldiers were mean. They made fun of the lifestyle of the villagers, calling them "hicks" and "treehuggers."

Then there was the fact that they were remarkably demanding, as they made clear as soon as their food supply ran out. They demanded that Fado slaughter his prize goat early, which broke Fado's heart but had to happen for sake of appeasing 25 armed soldiers.

And they were loud. They drank and made noise all night, keeping up Uli's daughter until the wee hours of the morning, and preventing the rest of the villagers from getting any sleep, thus making them even more irritable than usual.

To top it all off, they were completely perverted, eyeing Ilia and Ashei in inappropriate ways all day long. Link could feel anger beginning to boil in the pit of his stomach. He felt strangely possessive, and had to fight back the urge to remind all of the soldiers that only he could check out Ashei in inappropriate ways, although technically she wasn't even his to check out.

The soldiers completely disrupted the way that the village functioned, but despite their undeniable influence, the villagers did what they could to carry on with life as usual.

...

Shad did not like the soldiers.

Well, nobody liked the soldiers.

But Shad disliked the soldiers most of all.

For one thing, they whistled at Ilia a lot. For example, there was one evening where Ilia put on a skinny little outfit to go bathe in the creek. The soldiers were quick to notice, and they cheered her on in a very obnoxious manner. Shad thought it was terribly rude of the soldiers to objectify Ilia like that, not to mention that it embarrassed Ilia so much she had to go back inside. Shad was upset after that because he knew that Ilia had been looking forward to swimming, and now she wouldn't get the chance thanks to those dumb soldiers.

And then there was the fact that the soldiers made fun of him. He was reading a book in the shade of an oak tree one morning, and enjoying himself, too. The book was interesting, the weather was delightful, and he had no intentions of moving for a long time. But the soldiers noticed and made fun of him for wanting to sit and read. They jeered at him, told him he was not manly, and asked him how he planned to get a girl if all he did was read all day.

Shad answered politely that he would only want a girl if she liked him for himself, and he just happened to be a book nerd, so he'd have to get a girl who liked book nerds.

"I won't lie for love," he declared.

The soldiers roared with laughter and retaliated with the claim that Shad was a pansy- a _boring_ pansy- and Shad slammed his book shut and returned inside.

A few days later, Shad and Ilia were taking a walk through the village. A soldier was making fun of Beth, and when Shad shouted to leave her alone, the soldiers only laughed and picked on him instead. Then they made fun of Ilia for preferring to spend her time with such a "boring book-wuss," and Ilia said, "Better a book wuss than a blockheaded bully." And then Ilia kicked the soldier in the shin, and she scooped Beth up, and she and Shad ran as quickly as they could from the enraged man.

And afterwards, when the man hunted Shad and Ilia down and claimed he could have Ilia arrested, Shad asked how he knew. And the soldier claimed he knew that attacking a soldier could earn you a fine of 100 rupees because it was in Crevan's rulebook.

So Shad just smirked, and called the man a "book-wuss," and didn't bother with those soldiers ever again.

...

Rusl hated that he had to cross his village armed. Before leaving the house each morning, he would don a layer of chainmail, cover it up with his usual clothes, and then he would strap a sword and shield to his back for good measure. He made sure Colin was armed with a wooden sword and shield as well, and told Uli to make sure the baby stayed at home, and told her if she needed to go anywhere, he would be her escort.

He was not risking the well-being of his family. Not with this raunchy lot of soldiers pacing about town.

When they were at their tents, the soldiers kept fairly to themselves. They drank, played cards, sharpened their swords, and polished whatever armor they had. Sometimes they shouted and jeered at passerby, other times, they just watched pedestrians with a menacing glare.

Early one morning, Rusl was pacing by. The soldiers were quick to interrogate him.

"Where you headed, lad?"

Rusl forced a polite smile. "I'm on my way to to forest to gather firewood."

"Why you got a sword and shield for gathrin' _wood_?" the soldier pressed further. He was tall and shockingly skinny for a warrior, with a long, thin mustache across his upper lip and dark, sunken eyes.

"The woods are dangerous," Rusl answered matter-of-factly. "Surely you would know that."

The soldier narrowed his eyes. "_'Course_ we know that! We ain't stupid, is we, boys?!" The soldiers howled in agreement.

"Well then surely you'll let me on my way," Rusl said, and would have carried on, if the soldiers didn't keep shouting.

"Ain't you got a hatchet?!" the same man cried. "Or you gonna cut down them trees with your teeth? Like them... them... er, what they called, boys...?"

"Beavers!" one soldier cried.

"Yeah, yeah! Them beavers."

At this point, Rusl just sighed and kept walking. "I hope you'll return to your posts," he said, but the soldiers were hot on his trail.

"You're awful suspicious, mate," a new soldier remarked. "Why don't you join the army? You'd make a good soldier with weapons like that."

"Weaponry does not determine a good soldier," Rusl preached. "You've proven that yourselves."

...

If there was one thing in the world that Ashei hated more than anything else, it was being doubted. She hated when people doubted her, hated when people thought she was anything less than what she thought she was. Some people might have called her pretentious. Some, ostentatious. But Ashei liked to think that she wasn't bound by the limits that bound other people, and that was quite enough for her.

So when the soldiers started making fun of her, she was quick to resort to anger.

"Look at the girlie, thinks she can handle a sword," one of them teased as she was walking past their encampment one afternoon. She stopped in her tracks and wheeled around.

"Say that again to my face, yeah?"

The soldier just laughed. _He's probably drunk_, Ashei thought to herself.

"You think that carrying that sword will make you stronger than you actually are," remarked another of the soldiers.

The first soldier chuckled. "Girlie thinks she's a boy."

Ashei's jaw dropped. "Excuse you!" she cried. The soldiers turned to one another and their faces cracked into expressions of pure joy and disbelief.

"What?!" one cried, turning back to her. "Afraid to admit it, are you? Afraid to admit you dress like that 'cause you don't want to be a girl!"

"That's not the case at all!" Ashei cried. "I've been training as a warrior since I was a young child. It was never my decision to begin with!"

"Yeah, yeah," the second soldier remarked. "I'd be willing to bet you tell that to your girlfriend, too."

"My- what?!"

A third soldier chuckled from behind. "Don't worry, m'dear, you're no good at hiding secrets."

"No girl who likes boys would dress that much like one, " the first soldier clarified. Ashei was speechless.

"What would you know about me by the way I dress?!" she cried. "Because I wear tunics, because I carry a sword? Because I could best any of you in battle, you think that I'm inadequate of the standards placed on me by my _gender_?" She exhaled loudly. "You're all thicker than I thought," she said with a roll of the eyes.

"Yep," the first soldier said after a short pause. "Definitely a lesbian."

"Don't worry," a voice echoed from behind Ashei, and she jumped as a pair of hands landed on her waist. "We'll straighten you out..."

Ashei broke free of his grasp almost immediately, her blade at the man's throat in a split second. He was frightened for a second, but then he just smirked.

"Have it your way," he said smoothly, and turned to the rest of the soldiers. "C'mon," he said. "Let's leave the bitch alone."

Ashei snarled at them. "You'll definitely leave me alone, or this _bitch_ will bite."

They almost seemed shocked, their eyes wide, their mouths shaped like _o_'s. And then, with a final smirk, they drew away, back into the camp they'd set up. Ashei sheathed her sword warily, but she couldn't help but wonder what might have happened to her if she hadn't been armed...

...

"I'm _boooored_," said Talo as he lay on the floor of his house. Malo, Colin, and Beth all lay next to him with the same dull looks on their faces.

"Of course you're bored, you twat," Beth muttered. "There's nothing to do."

"Every time we go outside the soldiers make fun of us," Colin sighed. "They're really mean."

"No shit, ya spud," Talo ridiculed.

"_Talo!_ Don't swear!" Beth cried.

"Oh, please," Malo mumbled. "He's incapable of expressing himself any other way."

"Malo, I will punch you," Talo stated.

"Go ahead. I'll tell Mama."

Talo narrowed his eyes and turned to Colin. "He's an evil genius," he whispered.

"I know," Malo said, and Talo groaned loudly.

Jaggle entered the house and slammed the door behind them. "Damned soldiers are wastin' all the pumpkins!" he cried. The children all bolted up, eyes wide.

"TALO'S DAD SWORE!" Beth cried.

"Runs in the family," Malo mumbled, giving his brother a sidelong glance.

"Dad, we're bored," Talo said, and the children slowly sank back onto the floor. Jaggle looked down at them.

"You could go throw things at the soldiers," Jaggle suggested, and the children jumped up suddenly, faces alight with mischief.

"What- no, I didn't mean it-" Jaggle shouted, but the kids were already running out the door.

At this time it was beginning to get dark outside. Talo picked up a few rotten apples from the ground and tossed them to his friends.

"Here," he said, keeping his eyes on the group of white tents where at least fifteen soldiers were sitting around several campfires. "When I give the command, throw as hard as you can!"

"This is a bad idea," Colin said nervously.

"Ready..." began Talo. "Aim..."

Colin and Beth glanced at each other nervously, cracked a grin, and then stared back ahead.

_"FIRE!"_

A myriad of aerial apples assailed the camp, bonking soldiers' heads and backs and knocking over a frying pan, a stool, and a small stack of poorly-placed firewood. A final, hesitantly thrown apple collided with the head of Commander Rasire, who happened to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. He turned on the spot, his eagle eye landing on none other than Colin, whose hand was still aloft with the follow-through his father had taught him.

Rasire rubbed the back of his head and scowled, and then began marching over.

"Run!" cried Talo, and the children scattered. All except for Colin, whose fear kept him tethered in place.

"I- I-"

"You're Rusl's kid!" Rasire remarked. "Respectable man like him, well, I'd never expect him to raise such a little bastard..." He grabbed Colin's collar and leaned in menacingly. "Just what do you and your friends think you're going to accomplish by assaulting my men? Did you think we would leave? Think we'd abandon your village, scared off by the petty attempts of some dumb kids?!"

Colin gathered all of his courage and spat in the man's face, fully aware that he would regret it. Rasire stumbled back and wiped the spit from his forehead, absolutely glowering.

"That's it! I'll teach you a lesson, you little devil!" He unleashed and raised his blade, and Colin thought for sure he was about to meet with an untimely and embarrassing death-

"Stop it right there!"

Rasire halted, his sword suspended menacingly over his head. Realizing that the point of another blade was at his back, he lowered his sword and turned.

Link and Ashei stood behind him, both of their swords pointed at Rasire, who, despite his surprise, did not sheathe his blade.

"Look at this," he scorned. "Ordon's own swordsman... and swordswoman. Or so she pretends."

"_Leave Colin alone,_" Link said through gritted teeth.

"Or?"

"Or you'll have me to answer to."

Rasire laughed. "I'm sure I will. Tell me, what do you expect me to do? Behead the child?"

Link scoffed. "No man raises a sword unless he has intentions of violence."

Rasire's upper lip curled in disgust. "I merely meant to strike him with the blunt side of the sword as a means of teaching him a lesson. He and his friends meant to attack my camp!"

Ashei smirked and tossed an apple into the air. "Good thing they've got such calamitous ammunition," she deadpanned.

Rasire rolled his eyes. "All technicalities aside..." he said, and then turned to Colin. He'd barely moved an inch in Colin's direction before Link's blade was against his throat.

"Don't you dare."

Rasire was still for a moment. Then, his grip tightened on his sword, and he smirked.

"Very well," he said. "I must say, I find you quite compelling, Master..."

"Link."

"Link. I've heard stories about you. The Hero of Hyrule. My, what a title. I'm sure you wear it well. How about you and I have a little duel, Master Link?"

Link was skeptical. "What kind of duel?" he asked slowly.

"The usual kind," Rasire answered smoothly. "We fight until one of us is dead, maimed, or gives in."

"You're mad," Link decided, and turned to Ashei. "Can you believe him?" he said incredulously.

Ashei, however, didn't seem surprised at all. "I say you go for it," she decided. "Put this guy back in his place."

"Don't do it, Link," said Colin quietly. "Just let me take the beating."

"No," said Link firmly. "You won't be taking any beatings on my account."

"Link, this is just stupid," Colin advised. "Please, you're just making a mistake!"

Ashei just smirked. "C'mon, Link, if you don't want to fight, I'll fight for you-"

Rasire threw back his head and laughed. "Good heavens!" he cried, and his expression turned suddenly serious. "Do you mock me? A girl thinks that she is worthy of a duel?"

"I could kick your ass straight out of Hyrule and back into whatever shithole you came from!" Ashei threatened, and then paused. "Sorry, Colin," she added, noting that her foul language had probably offended him.

Rasire just brushed off her comment. "I'm more interested in what _he_ has to offer. Come on, _hero_. Don't tell me you're really a coward? I would hate to hear that the man doesn't live up to the legend."

"Leave him alone," Colin said quietly.

"Silence, boy," Rasire snapped, and he twirled his sword with a smirk, eventually ending with the blade turning outwards. "A battle. To the death, if you'd like."

Link sighed. "I don't want to hurt you-"

"Yes you do," Rasire corrected. "Look at you! You're angry- angry that someone could ruin a shot at happiness. And, oh, how unhappy you've been. I can tell by the glint in your eyes, boy! You've had a miserable time these past days. Or... _h__as_ it been days?" Every word hit home, and he knew that _Link_ knew it, too.

Link raised his sword cautiously. "You're making a mistake, Rasire," Link said, and Rasire just gave a dark laugh.

"Everything you say is an empty threat, boy!" he cried.

"It is not," Link answered, and Rasire glared back at him.

"Then_ prove it_!" he shouted.

"I'm about to!" Link cried back, and he raised his sword above his head. Rasire grinned like a madman and deflected Link's oncoming blow. He gave a sneer, but Link attacked from the side, and the force of his swing knocked Rasire's blade out of his hands. It landed in the grass twenty feet away, and the point of Link's sword ended up pressing lightly into Rasire's chest. Rasire fell to his knees in shock.

"Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you," Link threatened. Rasire gave a strange smile.

"You're far too afraid to kill anyone. You've cleared that up yourself."

Link's jaw clenched in anger. "Say that again, Rasire. Call me a coward one more time."

"You're a coward and a _fool_ to try and hide it," Rasire said easily. Enraged, Link raised his blade above his head- made to swing- this was it, he was going to kill him-

His hands froze above his head, and his grip on the hilt slackened._ Move, dammit,_ he told his arms._ Strike him down. Kill him now!_

The rage was there. It thrashed around and burned inside of him, several days' worth of rage that he had been keeping bottled up. One swing of the sword and this man's head would split open, and black-red blood would come gushing out, and his eyes would stare blankly ahead as the life drained out of him, and he would be dead, and Colin would be safe-

The vision shattered in Link's mind as he was hoisted back into reality like a drowning man rescued from the water. He lowered his sword slowly, sheathed it, grabbed Colin by the collar, told him to run along, and then ran along himself, all the way back to his house with Ashei in tow.

And once he was inside his house he took his sheathed sword and threw it upon the ground so hard that the noise continued echoing for seconds afterwards. Ashei followed after him and shut the door delicately behind her, jumping in surprise as Link's hand slammed against the wall and he sank to the floor, arms around his knees, head in his arms. She took a few steps toward him, her tread light and reluctant. He was shaking; she wondered whether he might be crying, and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"What did you do?!" Link answered darkly.

"I egged him on... Egged _both_ of you on. I should have remembered how you feel about fighting."

"It's not you," Link said. "It's never you, it's me. It will always be me."

He pulled his head from his arms and faced her. He wasn't crying, but he was visibly shaken. He was pale, and sweaty, and downright scared.

"I wanted to kill him," Link explained. "Right then and there, I wanted to kill him. I wanted to bash his head in and watch his brains leak out, I wanted to see blood, I wanted to watch him die. I wanted to do it for Colin and for you and for the rest of this whole gods-damned village!" He slammed his fist on the floor and collapsed back into his shell. Ashei didn't know what to do, so she just sat there, dormant.

_It's getting to a point_, she thought to herself, _where I don't know what I can do to help him. And that frightens me._

"You're not getting any better," she asked quietly, "are you?"

Link shrugged. "I thought I was. I really did. But then that_ fucking_ chancellor and his legion of soldiers had to ruin everything! It's like someone's out to personally get me."

"That's what I'm starting to think," Ashei said. "But we can't let that scare us off. We're strategic warriors, right? We can use their tactics as a... I don't know, a behavioral analysis. To predict further actions, to retaliate effectively-"

"Ashei, for once in my life, I don't want to be a warrior. Just this once can we treat this as what it really is?! It's me wallowing in self-pity, and that's the end of it." He exhaled, trying to calm himself down. "Don't try to turn me into a martyr. There's no excuse for the way I act sometimes, for the way I'm acting now. Just let me be sad for once, and stop trying to glorify it. Stop trying to give everything meaning.

"I asked you a few days ago to treat me normally," Link continued. "When Ilia got upset a few nights ago, you didn't take pity on her. What makes it any different with me? Is it because you respect me more, because I'm a _hero_? Because I fought Hyrule's way to freedom? Because if that's why you have respect for me, then I don't want it. I don't." He was quiet after that, and Ashei was hindered unresponsive.

The silence was broken by a scream.

It echoed from all the way down in the village, a scream of pure terror, of someone in need of immediate aid...

"Oh, goddesses," Ashei whispered in horror. "Link, it's Ilia. That's Ilia's voice."

Link tried to stand up, but Ashei forced him down.

"You stay here," she advised. "You're a wreck."

"But Ilia-"

"I'll save her," Ashei promised, and she was on the run before Link had time to protest.

...

It was late at night, and Ilia was headed home. The night was dark and still around her, and her gut squirmed in discomfort, telling her that something was definitely astray...

She glanced back and forth, but all she could see through the darkness was the firelight from the soldier's camp about 100 feet away. Everything else was a silhouette in the light of the waning moon and Ilia wrapped her bare limbs around her torso in the cold air.

But she still couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something eerie going on. It was silent... dead silent, except for her own breathing and the distant sound of the creek...

She stopped in her trail and took a few shaky breaths, the silence around her pressing- a twig snapped-

_"MMMPH!"_ she cried as a hand clapped over her mouth and another hand wrapped around her stomach. Her eyes widened in alarm but her further screams were muffled as she was dragged off to the side, into the shadow of the treeline. She writhed in her attacker's grasp, but it was to no avail; she was too weak, and her assailant was too strong...

She was thrown against a tree and the attacker pinned her against it, his breath hot and smelling heavily of alcohol. _It's one of Crevan's soldiers..._

"Hold still, girlie..."

No. This wasn't happening, there was no way this was happening... Ilia's heart was hammering in her chest. She summoned all of her strength and kneed the man squarely in the crotch. He stumbled back in pain.

"You _bitch!_" he cried, and Ilia's attempt to escape failed as he wrapped his arms around her and threw her down into the grass. Her head rattled at the impact and all she could see were stars as the man tore her shirt off of her and exposed her to the cold air. She shrieked and tried to cover herself; it was to no avail.

The man laughed sinisterly and Ilia braced herself for the worst...

And then she screamed in utter shock as the man's head was sliced clean off of his body. Ashei stood behind him- when she'd gotten there, Ilia didn't know, but she was terribly embarrassed.

"Ashei- I-"

"Run!" Ashei ordered. "Get out of here!"

Ilia's eyes widened in terror and she gave a nod, scrambling to her feet and sprinting across the village as fast as her legs could carry her. She flung herself in the direction of her home, feet sloshing through mud and grass as she gasped for air, her throat and chest dry and in desperate need of oxygen.

She ran up the steps of her house and threw the door open, ducking inside and slamming it behind her. She slid down slowly until she was slouched against the door. For a second, she just sat there blankly, trying to catch her breath, arms wrapped protectively around her.

And then she broke down into tears.

Shad found her this way ten minutes later. He was already in his pajamas, and he looked newly washed, warm, clean, and sleepy in a heavy woolen housecoat.

When he saw her, adrenaline shot through him. He approached her slowly, overcome with shock. And then he knelt down slowly, touching her forearm gently.

Ilia glanced up, eyes red, lips blue from the cold. He noted in terror that her torso had been stripped bare, and noticed bruises developing on her arms, and didn't even need to ask what had happened. He just pulled off his bathrobe and gave it to her, and she wrapped up in it, tying it securely around her waist.

Then he pulled her into a long embrace, feeling her cold, damp body shake against his warm, dry one. He held her there for a long time, and when she was ready to move, he brought her upstairs. She changed into a nightgown and he helped her into bed, lit an oil lamp, and made to leave.

"Wait." Her voice was meek. It was the first word she'd said since she got home. Shad took a few steps back in her direction.

"Yes?"

"Lay with me," Ilia commanded, without looking. So Shad climbed into the bed next to her, utterly bewildered, but not about to complain.

"Now hold me," she requested, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him, and resting his face in her thick, soft hair. He inhaled her scent and tried very, very hard to tell himself that this wasn't a sensual thing. Ilia didn't love him back, right? But he loved her, and he was going to hold Ilia right here, hold her here and make her know that she was safe with him, that she could trust him, that she could lay herself down, that she could be at peace.

Because he was her best friend. _And that's what best friends do._

**Next chapter: Something has to be done about these soldiers.**

**For some reason, I'm on a roll right now. I'm cranking out chapters at an unprecedented pace. That doesn't mean I'm trying to rush my updates, it means that I literally have spent all of my time writing because a.) I'm not allowed to leave my room or I might accidentally give someone radiation poisoning, and b.) I've been doing a lot of reading lately, which spurs the desire to write.**


	17. Chapter 17

Ashei stood silently in the shade of a tree, the dense black night casting a mourning veil over the scene. She was glued in her spot; from shock or terror, she did not know.

A corpse lay at her feet in two pieces.

On her left: the head. Eyes blank and unmoving, the neck caked in black blood where it'd been hacked.

On her right: the body. Headless. Slain. Dead.

The world was quiet around her. Not even a cricket stirred in the shadow the incident had cast. For a minute, Ashei was fearful. Fearful of discovery, fearful of punishment. She was only human.

But the human worries were soon washed out by the dominant part of her, the warrior part, and she picked up the head by the hair and held it gingerly up to the moonlight.

Ashei did not recognize the face, and was both relieved and disappointed. She would have marveled at the sighed of Rasire's severed head. But no; this man was foreign to her. He was merely an agent of Chancellor Crevan. Beyond that, he held no identity in Ashei's world.

She found herself back at Link's door moments later, knocking quietly.

"What?" he asked as soon as he saw her expression. Concern overtook him. "What's the matter?"

Ashei hesitated. Sighed. "You're going to hate this. You're really going to hate this."

Link's face darkened. "Ashei, just tell me."

Ashei sighed. No sense beating around the bush. "I have to dispose of a body."

Link's eyes widened. "You didn't..."

"Link, please," Ashei said. "Hear me out."

Link bit his lip. "Okay. Okay, let's hear it."

"The soldier was trying to- he almost- he had Ilia, she was kicking and screaming-"

Link's shoulders tensed. "Are you telling me what I think you're telling me? He tried to rape her?"

Ashei sighed. "Yes. But Link... Please, be considerate of her... Don't go telling people. It's none of their business. It's a... Private thing. Until she chooses to share it."

Link was on edge. "So what happened? You killed him?"

"I didn't have a choice."

"...I know. I understand that. He- he was asking for it. He deserved it."

Ashei was surprised. "I expected a lecture."

"No, what's done is done. You saved Ilia from a terrible thing. Thank you." But it was obvious that he was still very perturbed.

"Come on," Ashei said. "I need your help."

They found themselves back at the crime scene five minutes later. The body was just as Ashei had left it, and Link squatted down to inspect it. She could tell that he was greatly disturbed.

"Have you done this before?" he asked shakily. "Gotten rid of a body, I mean."

"I've dragged off animals before, from hunting."

"Hunting's different," Link said. "Hunting isn't a secret. We'll have to be smart about this... Are the soldiers still up?"

They listened intently. The soldiers were almost certainly asleep.

"I'll get a pail," Link answered. "Fill it up in the river, and once we've cleaned up, dump water on the spot and wash away the blood."

"But that comes afterwards. How do we move him?"

Link contemplated for a moment. "We'll have to carry him into the woods ourselves. Epona's all the way up at the ranch."

"And then?"

"The gorge," Link answered. "Dump him into the gorge. Um..." He pondered something for a second before suddenly grasping the legs of the corpse and pulling off the shoes.

"What the hell-" Ashei said as Link swapped his boots for the other man's shoes. He tossed his own boots into the clearing.

"Different footsteps," Link supplied. "It will make it look like the man walked off on his own if the shoe tracks are his."

"Good idea," Ashei said. "But he's to heavy to carry on his own. I'll have to help you. My tracks will still be there..."

"Which is why you're going to testify to walking to the woods with him. You're going to say he left of his own accord. If they ask, pretend you were with him when he said goodbye."

Ashei sighed. "This is all so ridiculous... Oh, gods," she said, glancing back to the severed body and feeling suddenly sick. "What have I done...?"

Link's hand landed heavily on her shoulder. "It couldn't be helped. He was a dangerous man and the world is better off without him."

Ashei looked Link dead in the eye. "Do you really believe that?"

Link didn't answer for a second. He just propped the head under his arm like a helmet and reached for the shoulders, Ashei grabbing the knees, and hoisting.

"No," Link finally answered once they'd started walking. "I don't believe that." He caught her eye. "But I want to."

...

A wooden mallot banged clearly against the mayor's desk as an indication of order.

"I've called you all here," Bo began, "to address a matter of dire importance. As you all know, our lives have been disrupted and even put in jeopardy due to the presence of these here soldiers."

He glanced around the small room, crammed with every current resident of Ordon Village that wasn't one of Crevan's soldiers.

"Now," Bo said, "something has to be done. There's no way about it! These soldiers will do everything they can to kick me out of office, and once they've done that, they'll throw whoever they like in my place. And then these soldiers will never leave! ...Rusl?"  
Rusl stood up from his spot in the gathering and took the floor.

"Mister Mayor, if I may..." He turned to the townspeople, who were watching with wide eyes. "As you may or may not know,  
my son, Colin, was cornered and almost beaten by Commander Rasire, who is in charge of the squadron that has set up camp in the center of the village. Not only have they taken advantage of our hospitality, but our safety is now at stake with them around."

"They made me kill my best goat!" cried Fado, who was still outraged. He hung his head. "Poor Nessa... I did love her."

"Exactly my point, Fado," Rusl said. "We cannot allow them to intrude upon us without any repercussions!"

"What kind of repercussions?!" argued Jaggle, getting to his feet. "Suppose we choose to fight them. What then?! We haven't got any weapons except what we use for hunting. And they've got swords, spears, shields, armor, horses - there's no chance in hell of beating them!"

"Thank you, Jaggle," said Rusl calmly, and Jaggle sat down in a fit. Rusl turned back to the crowd. "I understand that we are at a disadvantage. If we refuse the soldiers anything, they will take advantage of their weaponry to put us down. We are at their  
disposal."

"What do you suggest we do, then?" asked Pergie. Rusl sighed.

"We would have to brainstorm," he answered. "That is why you have all been summoned. So that we can think of a way to save ourselves from these madmen!"

Everyone seemed to ponder for a second, and then Fado got to his feet. "I have an idea."

"And that is?"

"Well, they rely on us for all their food," he said. "S'pose we poison it all before we feed them."

Rusl raised his eyebrows. "That's an idea. Thank you for your input. Bo, write that down, won't you?"

The mayor obliged, and Ashei leaned over to Ilia, who was sitting next to her.

"You're not going to tell them about last night, are you?" She whispered skeptically. Ilia shook her head.

"No; that's too embarrassing."

"Because right now that man's corpse- uh, both pieces of it-is currently at the bottom of a chasm in Faron Woods. Our cover story is frail."

"Ashei," muttered Ilia firmly, "what that man did to me is my business alone."

Ashei nodded. "I understand, Ilia." She leaned back in her chair.

Sera stood up slowly. "Rusl..." She began, "What if we evacuated the women and children -" Ashei rolled her eyes "-sometime in the night? Then the soldiers wouldn't be able to hurt us, and the men could stay and fight."

"Women can fight if they want to," droned Ashei loudly.

"That might actually work," said Bo once he had finished writing Sera's idea down. "After all, we've got Rusl and Link. Jaggle's not bad with a hatchet, and I've done a spot of sumo wrestling in my time."

Link squirmed in discomfort. "I don't like that idea," he stated loudly, and Ashei rested a hand on his leg.

"Calm down, Link," she advised quietly, but Rusl had already heard.

"It's not up to you," Hanch hissed, and Rusl shushed him.

"It's merely an option," he said, and turned to Link. "To be honest, I agree with you," he noted. "Fighting is a terrible idea and will only end in sorrow."

Now Shad stood up. "What if we used the law?" he asked. "There must be a rule that spares our position if Bo loses his spot," he offered. "Like... With some leaders, when they lose their position, their son takes over."

Rusl smiled. "That's a brilliant observation, Shad," he said. "In fact, if worse comes to worst, that may be crucial. I will consult Rasire about it. Until then, what other ideas do we have?"

"We could burn the damn tents down, yeah?" Ashei mumbled.

Talo stood up suddenly. "I say we steal all their weapons and use them against them!"

Rusl's shoulders dropped. "As much as I'd like to endorse that idea, it's impossible. There's no way of handling weapons most of you have never been trained in."

There was collective agreement from around the room and Ilia raised a hand. "Suppose we call in for help. Like... We could send an ambassador to Princess Zelda and ask her to send all of the soldiers she disbanded."

"I like that idea," said Ashei in surprise.

"Are you writing all of this down, Bo?" asked Rusl, and Bo's second chin wagged as he nodded energetically.

"You bet I am," he said as his pen scribbled across the paper.

"Good, very good," Rusl encouraged. "Now, as we continue to consider offense, we should-"

The door slammed open suddenly.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

The villagers gasped collectively as Rasire and half a dozen other armed soldiers burst into the mayor's house,

Rusl remained tranquil.

"We are discussing the fall harvest," he answered calmly, and Link thanked the gods for the hundredth time that at least Rusl had his head screwed on right.

"Sure you are," Rasire scoffed, striding forward and sneering at the crowd. "I want to know what happened to Private Jarvid... Perhaps one of you would be privy to the exact nature of the spontaneity behind it?"

Nobody spoke.

Then, Rusl addressed Rasire. "I... I beg your pardon?"

Rasire took several strides forward with his men backing him. "Private Jexin Jarvid of my squadron hasn't been seen since last night. Nobody was aware that he had plans of leaving. His possessions are still here, along with his horse."

"Have you tried checking for a note?" asked Uli honestly.

"I can assure you there is no such thing," Rasire answered. "The entire contents of his tent have been examined."

"I am sorry to hear of it," Rusl said, glancing around at the townspeople for answers to unasked questions. "I'm afraid that I wouldn't know anything about it... And neither, I surmise, do the townspeople."

Rasire narrowed his eyes. "Begging your pardon, but I can't help but observe that you have instated yourself as the spokesperson of this village. Where is the mayor's word in all of this?"

Bo glanced up from his writing desk. "I-"

"What are you writing?" asked Rasire suddenly and quickly. Bo's eyes widened, betraying him.

"We are merely making a list of townships we will be shipping our crops to," Rusl insisted, but to no avail. Rasire strode forward, pulled out his knife, and demanded the list that Bo had penned.

"This is none of your concern," said Bo darkly, and Rasire smirked sinisterly.

"Then you shouldn't fuss over letting me have a look," he reasoned. Bo tugged at his collar nervously, his eyes glancing worriedly to the poniard in Rasire's tight grip.

"I am sorry, but it really-"

"GIVE IT TO ME!" Rasire demanded, and swiped it from Bo's sweaty grasp before anyone else could protest. He read it over once, his eyes widening as he scanned further down the paper.

"EVERYBODY AGAINST THAT WALL!" Rasire cried, finally crumpling up the list and drawing his sword. The other soldiers followed his example, and the villagers leapt to their feet in fright. They scrambled across the room, bumping into each other and overturning furniture in their mad rush to obey. Then, wide eyed and trembling, they lined up with their backs to the walls just as Rasire had directed. Shad ended up next to Link, and he grabbed his wrist nervously. Ilia was on the other side of Link and was grasping his arm furiously. And two away from Link was Ashei, who was standing ramrod straight, her own sword ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

Link tensed as he noticed that every eye in the room was turned on him.

_These people expect me to protect them,_ he realized, but stood rigidly with no intention of moving. Ilia and Shad's grips on his arms tightened as Rasire drew closer.

"I want to know," Rasire said through gritted teeth, "_Exactly_ what is going on here." He scanned the crowd furiously. "WHICH ONE OF YOU KILLED JARVID?!" he boomed.

Silence.

Rasire charged forward in rage and the villagers screeched in terror, dispersing out to the side as the blade swooshed through the air. Back slumped and panting for breath, Rasire's eyes roamed the townspeople menacingly.

"You think that you have the power to stop us, to stop Crevan."

"We've got the stupidity to try, and that's more than anyone else has done!" Jaggle shouted suddenly, and the villagers hollered in agreement.

"SILENCE!" Rasire demanded, and order ensued just as before. His grip on the hilt of his sword tightened. With a flick of the fingers, the men behind him closed in on the villagers.

"Chancellor Crevan is in Hyrule's seat of power whether you like it or not. He can command armies without lifting a finger. Your princess is a figurehead. He will have order for the _sake_ of order; possible tyrants will be put down without a prayer of looking like martyrs, and the rest of you will thank His Grace for an era of peace!"

"Our leaders are being disbanded, or culture disrupted, half of Castle Town is impoverished, and you call this _peace_?!" Rusl protested. Rasire turned on him.

"You defend a mayor who has sat quietly throughout this entire ordeal!" the commander cried, turning his gaze on Bo. The mayor shrunk in the limelight. "This man isn't worth your praise, and I would be _damned_ if one of you would be willing to lay down your lives for him!"

Bo was silent, hanging his head in shame.

"And beyond that... I would be twice as shocked to see him make any sacrifice for a single one of you." Rasire gestured around the large building. "Look at the luxuries this man has indulged in while the rest of you work! His happiness is the fruit of your efforts. Honestly- a _wrestling_ ring, Mister Mayor?! I've seen Royal councillors with fewer wealth-induced absurdities."

Bo was silent, and the villagers had grown infuriated.

"Who elected him?!" Rasire finally cried in mock-surprise. "Who decided that he should conduct affairs?"

Further silence. Finally, someone spoke up.

"No one elected him."

It was Ilia.

"Well well well... it would seem we are making progress," Rasire mused. "Tell me, girl, how did he come into power?!"

"It was his wife. She was elected, really. But since a woman can't be mayor, he was the figurehead. When the wife died, he was left to cope on his own..."

Rasire smirked and grabbed her suddenly by the shoulders, wrenching her out of Link's grasp. The villagers gasped as Rasire displayed her to his audience.

"Tell me more about the coward, why don't you?!"

Ilia narrowed her eyes. "Don't call my father a coward!"

Rasire's maniacal grin only spread. "I see..." He turned to face the mayor, crushing Ilia in his grasp.

"Tell me more about the affairs you're conducting."

"We are trying to-" Rusl began, but Rasire cut him off.

"I want to hear it from the mayor."

Bo swallowed nervously. "We were discussing ways to purge the town of your presence," he said, a tremor in his voice.

Rasire's grip tightened. "Tell me more."

"We considered poisoning your men, or evacuation, or calling in aid and taking up arms-"

"I've heard enough," Rasire decided. "I can guarantee that you've been deemed untrustworthy in accordance with the decrees and definitions set up by His Grace. You will be promptly removed from office."

The townspeople began to howl in protest, but became very quiet very quickly as Rasire's grasp tightened and Ilia screamed.

"One more question before I let her go," Rasire said darkly, his eyes flitting the crowd.

"...Which one of you killed Commander Jarvid?"

Nobody spoke. Ashei and Link kept their eyes firmly ahead, while some villagers glanced around in confusion. Those who knew didn't speak. Even Ilia kept quiet.

"Very well," Rasire sighed. And then, without warning, he began to squeeze. Ilia screamed and flailed as the pressure became too much for her frail frame.

"STOP! STOP IT, YOU MONSTERS!" Shad threw himself forward into Rasire, pulling at his armored limbs as if such a pathetic effort might actually aid the release of Ilia. Seconds later, he had six swords were pointed at him. Rasire's grip loosened in surprise, and Ilia gasped for air. Shad glared around the room.

"Which of you was it?!" he shouted. The villagers gaped at him in shock. "Well?!" he pressed. "Which of you did the deed?! Fess up, why don't you?! Or would you rather they hurt Ilia?! Would you rather they _kill_ her?! Shame on you, shame on all of you for putting yourselves before her-"

"IT WAS ME!" Ashei yelled, bursting forward. Shad gaped at her in shock.

"_You_?!"

"Obviously," she continued, and she pushed Shad off to the side. Ashei drew her own sword, and the villagers gasped in collective apprehension.

"Let her go."

"Why, you little-"

Link was at Ashei's side instantly, freeing his own sword from his sheath as well.

"She said, let her go," Link repeated. Rasire just cocked an eyebrow.

"Two children against a select group of His Grace's army. You realize that you are but mice before lions. Why free the prey to the hands of the guilty party?"

"I am guilty of no crime!" Ashei finally cried. "What I did to Jarvid was punishment, yeah?!"

"Punishment for WHAT, girl?!"

"Never you mind what-"

"Tell me!"

"PUNISHMENT FOR THIS!" Ilia cried, and the villagers gasped as Ilia rolled up her sleeves to reveal rows of dark, heavy bruises. "That  
man... Jarvid... He attacked me last night. It was dark, and there was nobody around, and he... he tried..." She gulped. "Private Jarvid tried to rape me after the rest of you had gone to sleep. Ashei killed him before he could go through with it and probably saved my life. The rest of you ought to be ashamed."

Shad, Link, and Ashei watched forlornly. Rusl's mouth was agape. Uli looked ready to faint. The other women were pink with surprise. The men, red with rage.

Bo stared at her from his desk in utter astonishment and terror.

The dumbstruck Rasire released Ilia, who stumbled immediately into Link's hold. He received her and held her there anxiously, her body trembling as she adjusted to the comfort of his arms.

"You are all dismissed," Rasire finally said, sheathing his sword. The skeptic soldiers were slow to act on Rasire's orders, but obliged. Rasire continued to address the villagers.

"The crimes of my men still do not account for the extent of your insubordination," he explained, and turned to Bo. "Mister Mayor, you have three days to pack up and leave. After your abdication has been assured, we will depart to Castle Town to find a new, more appropriate leader for this township."

Rusl cleared his throat. "Suppose we provide a new leader."

Rasire raised an eyebrow. "You are allowed to appoint a candidate," he scoffed, "and even then, I get to decide."

"There must be an exception," Rusl argued, and Rasire shook his head.

"The only exception would come in the form of the mayor's son. But as far as I can see, he has no son."

"What if he had a married daughter?" Ilia asked suddenly and quietly. Rasire turned to her. She was still shaking in Link's arms.

"You would have forty-eight hours to marry off, girl, and no prayer of a dowry in such a short time slot. I'd like to see you TRY to pull that off."

"Suppose she did marry," said Rusl quickly. "What then?"

"Then her husband would inherit the title... For now. A few months would pass before he, too, underwent inspection. I suggest you don't fret about it."

The commander turned quickly on his heel. "I suggest you cease to congregate in this fashion," he said loudly. "I've never seen such anticlimax."

And then, with a final flourish of a gloved hand, Rasire exited the household and slammed the door behind him.

Link watched as Ilia hovered into Uli's waiting arms.

"Let's have you lay down, you poor lamb..." she was saying. Link was startled when he felt Rusl's hand land heavily on his shoulder.

"May I have a word?" he asked, and Link nodded as he followed Rusl into a secluded part of the room.

"You heard that conversation back there," Rusl said. "You understand that we can save the village if Ilia marries off immediately..."

Link's stomach did a flip as he realized what Rusl was implying.

"...And you want me to consider it," Link said. Rusl nodded.

"I'm begging you. You're the hero, Link. We're all counting on you to save this village, and if you won't fight your way through it, then there will need to be an alternative."

Link's eyes flitted over to Ashei, who was speaking with a distressed Shad at Ilia's side, who was spread out atop the couch. He returned his eyes to Rusl, who was staring at him urgently.

"I can't- I can't agree to anything yet," he reasoned, thinking not of Ilia, but of Ashei, gorgeous, magnificent, radiant Ashei, and all that he was reluctant to lose in her.

Rusl was quiet. "I understand that it's sudden. You must be overwhelmed... Just give your emotions some time to settle. I know you'll make the right decision."

And then he gave him a pat on the shoulder and left, leaving Link to matter what on earth was "right" in times like these.

**And after three weeks of nothing, the hermit emerges from the safety of silence and posts the update.**

**I... had writer's block? I just didn't feel like writing this chapter. I. Just. Didn't.**

**And I don't feel like writing the next chapter. Or the one after that. Or even after that.**

**But I will.**

**You know why?**

**Because you people are going to shout thiNGS IN THE BIGGEST LETTERS YOUR KEYBOARD CAN TYPE SO THAT I'LL ACTUALLY GET UP OFF OF MY LAZY ASS AND CONTINUE WITH THIS THING. DO YOU KNOW HOW SICK OF THIS STORY I AM. DO YOU REALLY. ARE YOU SURE.**

**But in all seriousness, I'm sorry for the delay. I've been trying to write quicker so that I can kind of update quicker so that I can kind of finish quicker and move on.**

**We are an estimated 10 chapters from the end. (The countdown begins soon?)**

**Thank you for dealing with me and my insane author's notes once again. When this thing is eventually finished I will all make you personal medals that say "I Survived MRMR And ColleenTJ Along With It."**

**-CTJ**

**P.S. I can assure you that I am no longer radioactive, and I am feeling well. Thanks for your concern.**


	18. Chapter 18

_Ashei found him the night after the town meeting at home… The room was dark, cold, lonely, and astoundingly quiet._

_He was sitting on his bed in nothing but his trousers, his bare feet pressed firmly into the floorboards in front of him. He was rolling a dark bottle between his palms, and his eyes stared blankly ahead, not bothering to acknowledge her._

"_Link?"_

_He grunted in response without looking over. She gazed around the room in a sort of confused curiosity, shutting the door slowly behind her. There were several arrows lodged in the wall opposite Link; she noticed with some amusement that Link's bow was only a few feet away from him._

"_Did the wall offend you?" she mocked._

"_Yes," Link answered to her surprise. She observed him. His hair was immensely tousled, and he was very pink in the face. His eyes were drooping, glassy, and slightly bloodshot. She took a step closer. Beads of sweat had formed along his brow, and she couldn't help but notice the exhaustion in the slope of his back, his shoulders, the drape of his arms against his elbows against his thighs, the slump of the chin against the chest, all of him slouched, all of him wilting..._

* * *

The announcement was nailed onto a post early the next morning.

"'_Mayor Bo's position as leader in Ordon Village, after being thoroughly examined, has been repealed on behalf of His Grace, Chancellor Crevan. The mayor has three days to abdicate his position. If in three days he has not left office, he will be removed by force. A new leader will be instituted by decree of His Grace as soon as possible. Signed: Commander Ponnard Rasire.' _Heavens to Betsy..." Shad finished, having read the announcement aloud to Ilia.

Ilia giggled. "'Heavens to Betsy,' that's a new one," she observed. "It's probably the second silliest thing I've heard you say."

Shad went pink. "The first being...?"

"Um... hey, look at that, uh, thing... over there..." Ilia wandered off across the creek, and Shad, frustrated, limped after her.

"Ilia! Wait up!" He fell into step with her. "Aren't you even remotely upset about that announcement?"

They were walking in the direction of Link's house, and Ilia fell quiet.

"Well, yes. I mean, I suppose I am."

Shad looked at her skeptically. "Aren't you angry with the soldiers?"

"I'm furious with the soldiers, but I'm not upset about the announcement. It was inevitable. Besides," she added, glancing up at Link's treehouse as they passed, "Link will know what to do about it. Link always has the answers."

A hush fell over them as they passed into the undergrowth, the forest path curving around roots and rocks as the trees thickened before them. It was a cool, quiet day, and the yellow leaves were twirling to the grass like snowflakes. The already fallen leaves crunched under their feet, their footsteps and breathing rhythmic in the quiet wood.

"You put a lot of faith into him," Shad observed. "Far more than the rest of us. You do realize that-"

"I know he's sick," Ilia said quickly. "But I think he's getting better. You saw him at the meeting yesterday. He was very heroic." She took a few steps that were dance-like in style, sashaying her hips back and forth as she placed one foot carefully in front of the other. Shad, having fallen behind to admire her, blushed when she remarked on it.

"Looking at something?" she teased, and Shad tore his eyes away from the way that her translucent white dress fluttered perfectly around her thighs. He adjusted his glasses nervously and tightened his grip on his cane.

The cane had been a gift from Rusl, something that he had made himself that Colin had helped him to polish. It was a vast improvement over the clumsy crutch that he'd been supporting himself with, and Shad liked to think that maybe it made him look a little less pitiful.

"Don't worry," she said with a small smile. "It makes you look sophisticated."

Shad glanced up in surprise. "How did you-"

"I read your _mind_," she teased with a grin, and looped an arm around his shoulders. "Follow me," she said. "I want to show you something very beautiful."

After a few more paces, they had come to a gate decorated with flowers. Ilia pushed it open and the pair stepped forward onto a sheet of soft white sand. Shad rested his eyes on a turquoise pool, apparently fed by a crick somewhere beyond a thick set of pine trees. A small rainbow arched overhead as a result of the spraying water. As beautiful as it was, Shad felt immediately uncomfortable.

"I'm not very well-versed with nature," he finally admitted, glancing around. Bugs. Bugs everywhere. A woodpecker sounded from somewhere nearby, and he jumped at the sight of a set of tadpoles near the sand. Ilia giggled.

"You should have said something ten minutes ago," she remarked. Shad bit his lip.

"I didn't mean to-"

"I'm not offended, I promise," Ilia said, and she cantered over to a spot at the edge of the pool, slipping off her sandals and sliding her toes into the water. Shad watched awkwardly from the side as Ilia became a part of the environment. He was almost startled when he realized how much better she fit in here than she did at Telma's bar. Ordon Village wasn't just Ilia's home, it was her soul. And Shad, with his fancy clothes and city-boy haircut and air of definite aristocracy, frowned. Because he did not belong in her world, and she did not belong in his, and that upset him far more than it should.

He thought again of Link.

Shad would never have predicted that he would ever be jealous of the Ordonian hero. Link had spent much of his time riding horses and brandishing swords and sleeping outside, and Shad could very certainly say that none of that appealed to him. The thought of heroism on its own had Shad shaking in his shoes.

No, he never would have predicted that a rift would come between them in the form of a girl. And yet here she was, very much Shad's, yet very much Link's. Because she was Link's oldest friend, and they were quite in step with nature, camouflaging with their surroundings not because they resembled them, but because they understood them. There was a bond between Link and Ilia that only made sense _to _Link and Ilia, because they'd had a thousand moments that nobody else in the world could see or remember. A thousand moments from their childhood that they would carry to the grave. Ilia and Link were the way they were because they had shaped each other; Link without Ilia wouldn't be very much Link at all, and vice versa.

Shad gulped, suddenly muscling up the courage to ask something he'd been meaning to ask for quite awhile.

"Do you plan on marrying Link?" he asked. Ilia drew still, staring at her feet underneath the rippling water. She did not speak.

"Are you asking me that because of yesterday's meeting?" she finally replied.

"I don't know."

"I don't know, either." She glanced up. "When you marry someone, you're binding yourself to them forever. Some people don't realize that. But I realize that."

"But would you be willing to?" Shad pressed.

Ilia hung her head. "...Yes," she said. Her words were reluctant. "Yes, I would marry him."

"And bind yourself to him?" Shad asked, his heart dropping. It was true, then. Ilia was in love with Link, just as he had overheard on the morning of the Fall Festival.

"I would gladly bind myself to him," Ilia said.

"Then why do you sound so drear?" Shad continued, his entire body growing warm with embarrassment and anger and sorrow and loss and a thousand different types of confusion.

"Because I don't think he'd want the same with me," she finally answered.

"But if he asked you...?"

"I would marry Link in a heartbeat if he asked me to," she answered honestly.

"...Do you love him?"

"Yes, I love him. But Shad-" she caught his eye, and her own were pleading- "Shad, please don't think ill of me for it."

Shad forced a smile. "Why would I ever judge you for a thing like that?"

Ilia's expression broke and went suddenly blank. "Because you- because I thought that you- ...never mind," she concluded, and picked up her sandals, dangling the straps from her fingers as she returned to the gate barefoot.

Shad watched her forlornly for a second before limping after her.

* * *

"_...You really shouldn't be drinking."_

"_I know."_

_She sat next to him, trying to ignore the odor of sweat and alcohol on him. She turned again to the arrows that he had shot into the wall._

"_How are you feeling?" she asked, and he turned to her, gaping at her almost as if she weren't really there. He blinked slowly, heavily, his eyes begging for something. But for what? Release? Release from the burden of the world?_

"_How do you think?" he finally asked, his voice sodden in something that Ashei couldn't quite place._

"_I thought you were getting better."_

_He rolled his eyes. "You're bluffing, as usual." And then he fell sideways against her, and she was forced to support what was essentially several hundred pounds of blundering, intoxicated meat. She wrapped her hands around his torso and pushed him back up, and she knew that her hands must have been cold against his chest and back. He closed his eyes at her touch, and she wondered why..._

* * *

Rusl landed three heavy knocks on Link's front door. For a moment, he didn't expect an answer. Then, after ten seconds of waiting, the lock was unlatched from the inside and it was drawn open by none other than Ashei. Rusl noticed that Ashei was still in yesterday's clothes. A second later, he was wondering why he'd taken note of her clothes in the first place.

"Yeah?" asked Ashei, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

"I was hoping to speak to Link. May I ask what you're doing here?" Rusl inquired suspiciously.

"I'm his friend, too," Ashei reminded him, and stepped aside without another word. Rusl strode in, gazing about the room. A kettle was swinging over a bustling fire, and the table was set. But Link was nowhere to be found.

"Where-"

"He's in the basement," Ashei answered quickly. "Getting us some breakfast. Have a seat, yeah? I'll get another plate..." she walked over to a cupboard and drew it open, and Rusl stood dumbly, staring at her.

"You spent the night, didn't you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because Link would never be up this early, and certainly never makes himself breakfast. Besides," he added when she started to speak, "you're still in yesterday's clothes."

Ashei bowed her head and her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"It wasn't like _that_," she said.

"You don't know what I was implying," Rusl argued.

"No," Ashei said after a second, "I think I do."

They sat down awkwardly at the table and at that moment Link emerged from the cellar. He had a jar of preserved fruit under one arm and was carrying a loaf of bread under the other.

"Ashei, we've only got raspberry-" Link paused as he caught sight of Rusl. "Hello."

"You don't look good," Rusl said immediately, glancing Link over. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was heavily tousled. Deep purple bags framed his eyes, and there was a slope to his shoulders.

"Yeah," Link mumbled. "Yeah, I know."

* * *

"_...I want... to talk..." he was saying. "Want to talk to you."_

"_I'm here," she replied, not sure what else there was to say._

"_Are you, though?"_

"_What?"_

"_Here."_

_She thought about it. "Do you think you're hallucinating?" she asked suddenly. There was a moment of silence..._

"_Yes," he answered._

"_Why?"_

_He didn't look at her. Wouldn't look at her._

"_Because you look how you always do in my mind," he answered slowly._

_She didn't ask what he meant, but she did wonder._

"_I'm real," she promised._

"_I'm not," he answered. "I don't feel real, anyway. Not anymore. I don't know who I am. Everyone thinks I'm a hero. Sometimes, I think I'm a hero, too, but then I remember that I'm not a hero to everyone. I'm the villain of a million other stories. The bokoblins' stories. Or the bulblins' stories. Or the Darknuts, or the Stalfos, or the Poes..."_

"_You can't be a hero to everybody, Link."_

"_But that's just it. I don't want to be a hero at all."_

"_Then what do you want to be?"_

_He looked at her now, tears in his eyes. "I want to be a man."_

_Her gut turned uncomfortably. "You are a man."_

"_No I'm not." He was shaking his head, face contorting as he fought back tears. "I'm not a man. I want to be a man, but I can't be one..."_

* * *

Suddenly, the kettle began whistling mercilessly. Ashei swept it from its spot over the flames and poured the steaming water into three aligned mugs. She was only half-focusing on her work as she dropped three tea bags into the water and brought the mugs and three spoons over to the table, where she distributed them accordingly. She sat down next to Link, Rusl sitting opposite them.

"I don't suppose there's anything I should know about you two," Rusl said again, stirring his tea as it started to turn brown.

Link kept his eyes firmly on his mug. "Nothing you don't know already," he answered truthfully.

"Because if there is-"

"For the thousandth time, Rusl, it's not like that!" Ashei cried. "Leave us alone. You're not our babysitter."

"That's not why I'm asking," Rusl argued as Link violently buttered a piece of bread. "I'm asking because- well, if you're absolutely sure that there's nothing between you two- I would like Link to consider the offer I made yesterday."

Link's hand stopped moving and he glanced back up tiredly. There was something behind his eyes that frightened Rusl. What was the boy feeling? The flicker of his pupils back and forth suggested something tumultuous in nature, and Rusl wondered what inner-turmoils Link had that he kept to himself. He supposed that there was no one on earth who would really ever understand it.

* * *

_...She was quiet for a long time, just listening to his ragged breathing that reeked so strongly of ale. After a minute, she took his clammy, shaking hand, and freed the bottle from its grip. He panicked at the loss of something to hold on to._

"_Tell me how to help you," she commanded. "Tell me what you need."_

"_I don't know, I don't know..." he was shaking his head as he spoke. "I don't know what I need, and I'm scared as hell because I don't know. I used to know everything. I used to know-" He stopped speaking and inhaled rapidly before letting out a long, slow stream of air. She could sense that he was on the verge of hyperventilating; better to help him now, she thought. Better to let him get one foot in and then pull back, yes, that's much better than having him fall straight down._

"_Calm down, calm down..." she took both of his hands in her own and gripped them tightly. "It's only me..."_

* * *

"You realize that what you're asking me to do... it's a very large step, Rusl. Very large."

"I'm not asking you to sign your life away. I'm asking you to do what you believe is right."

Link hung his head. "No. You're asking me to do what _you _believe is right."

Ashei blinked. "Wait. What is he asking you to do?"

Hesitation.

"Rusl... suggests that I marry Ilia. For the benefit of the town. I'll be able to take over Bo's position so that Ordon will be saved from the soldiers."

Ashei's mug slipped out of her hand and shattered on the floor, and despite this, she only stared at Link vacantly.

"...Marry... her?"

"Assuming that Link has no intentions of marrying anyone else, of course," Rusl provided. "I would not ask him to drop everything for the sake of Ordon-"

"That's sure what it sounds like!" Ashei protested, and her eyes narrowed. "You can't just force him to settle down! That's not fair to him!"

"It's not fair to either of them. Believe me, Ashei, I realize that. But it's the only hope Ordon has left."

"Rusl, that's a completely brash idea! Link doesn't even _love _Ilia enough to marry her. Do you, Link?!"

Link stared at the wooden table as if it were the most compelling thing in the world, and Ashei groaned in frustration. She turned back to Rusl.

"He politely declines your offer," she said. "Thank you, but no thank you."

"Wait," Link said without glancing up. "I haven't made my decision yet." He turned slowly to face Ashei. "And it's not your decision to make for me."

But she was shaking her head. "Link... you can't be serious. Marriage isn't a joke. That would mean just you and Ilia, just you and Ilia forever and off with the rest of us..."

"You don't get it, Ashei," Link countered, his voice growing stronger as he spoke. "It would mean getting rid of the soldiers. It would mean ensuring our safety! You were there when they attacked Ilia, and you saw what they almost did to Colin. We need to get Crevan out of Ordon as soon as possible. This is my home, and I will do what I can to protect it."

"But this _isn't _your home!" Ashei argued, getting to her feet. "You said it yourself! You said that you hardly know these people anymore, that you don't understand each other."

"I don't mean to be rude, Ashei," Rusl cut in, "but this is really up to Link. It is his decision to make-"

"Link is _sick!" _Ashei finally cried, and it was clear that she had cracked. "You wouldn't understand because you haven't been there for him these past few months!"

Rusl's jaw dropped. "Sick? What do you mean, _sick?!"_

"None of your business, yeah?!"

"Wait, no-" Link stood up. "This is wrong- stop fighting! Rusl, it was wrong of us to keep it secret from you. I'm not well. I haven't been well for awhile. It's just... I have these mood swings, I don't know how else to put it- sometimes I drink-"

"He's ill, that's how you put it!" Ashei insisted, wrapping her hands around his arm. "He's frail, Rusl!"

"I'm not frail," Link argued.

"Yeah, I didn't think so, either!" Ashei cried, and suddenly there were tears in her eyes. "Not until last night-"

"-Wait, what _did _happen last night?" Rusl asked all of a sudden, and the other two fell silent.

"I'm not going to tell you exactly what happened," Link finally answered, and he was quiet. "I don't know that I can. But I can tell you this- I'm not fit for what you all think I'm fit for. I can hardly raise a sword anymore. Fighting has come to frighten me... death unnerves me. I can't-" he gulped- "I can't point my blade at anyone else without guilt washing over me. You don't know, you wouldn't understand..."

Rusl had grown still in the presence of Link's tale. "...Go on."

"At the meeting yesterday, everyone expected me to protect them," Link said. His voice was getting quieter again, shakier again. "Everyone still expects me to protect them. Even Ilia and Shad think that I'm in control."

"In control of...?"

"Myself," Link answered. His face fell into his palms, and when he reemerged, his eyes were brimmed with tears. "I've always been able to speak freely with you, Rusl," he said. "You're my oldest friend, and I owe a lot to you. But you can't rely on me for the kinds of things I used to do. I'm not the same person I was."

Rusl's brow drew into an expression of impatience. "That's it. I want to know exactly what's going on here."

"I don't know!" Link cried. "I don't know what's going on!" He stood up and swiped his hand across the table in rage, knocking over the bread and jam he'd put there moments ago. "If I knew, I would tell you-"

"Calm down, calm down!" cried Ashei, but Link was completely losing it.

"You want to know why I can't fight?! Or why I drink all the time?! Or why I never come home?!" Link cried. "I'll tell you why! It's because of you, it's because of all of you! It's because I knew that coming back to Ordon would mean living up to a reputation that doesn't suit me anymore! I knew that you would expect me to ride into town as the hero, high-and-mighty, with tales of all of my adventures strewn everywhere like some great fairy tale! But you know what, Rusl? It wasn't a fairy tale. It was a nightmare. You hear people fawning over it- _Link slayed a dragon_, they'll say. _Link slayed a monster, Link slayed the usurper, Link saved the Princess! _It all sounds pretty glorious when you put it that way, doesn't it?!"

Rusl stared, dumbstruck, as Link found a shelf of books and kicked it over. Volumes spilled all over the floor as Link continued to rant.

"What nobody ever talks about is _me! _They don't talk about the days I spent running from one end of the world to another, muscles aching as I ran out of breath! They don't talk about the times I was stabbed, cut up, bruised, burned! Nobody talks about the nights where I nearly froze to death just from exposure. And _nobody_ talks about Midna, who was there for all of it. _Nobody _talks about Midna because Midna left! She left me and she knew it would kill me and _SHE LEFT ANYWAY, AND THEN THE WORLD FORGOT HER!_"

And for his final act, Link overturned a writing desk loaded with papers, ink, scrolls, framed pictographs, and an oil lamp. The desk fell to the floor with a _thump_, and then Link slid down next to it.

Rusl stared quietly. "I... I'm sorry I said anything. I can see you need some time to yourself." He turned to leave.

"Wait."

Rusl turned around. "...Link?"

"Rusl, I can't live like this anymore." His voice was quiet. "I've told you how I feel. It's not a secret anymore." He took a long, shaky breath, and then gulped in an attempt to calm himself. "I'll marry her. I'll marry Ilia, if she'll marry me-"

"Link!" Ashei protested, but he cut her off, keeping eye contact with Rusl.

"-I can see that this town needs me. And if I ever loved someone, then she made it clear she never loved me back. But I love Ilia, too, and I know I can rely on her to help me. And with her help, I can help the rest of you, providing you'll forgive me for the things I cannot do."

Rusl stared vacantly for a second. Then, he smiled. "Thank you, Link," he breathed in relief. "Thank you for this. You are not making a mistake. Ilia is a wonderful girl; a wedding is a cause for celebration! Do not despair." He walked over to Link and helped him to his feet, clasping Link's hands firmly in his own. "You are doing what you can to save a group of people who love you very much. You can make your home here, and we will care for you until the end of your days." He pulled Link into a tight embrace. "You are not alone, Link. You are never alone, even if you think you are, you're not."

And with a final grin and a nod, Rusl donned his coat, tipped his hat, and departed. Once the door had shut, the room grew uncomfortably quiet, with Ashei standing dumbly in the middle of it.

"...Ashei?" asked Link experimentally.

She continued to stare blankly ahead. "Congratulations," she said hollowly. And then she got to work picking up the mess Link had made. Link guiltily aided her in tidying up, but he could tell that something was off about her.

The gears in her mind were churning even though she didn't speak. She didn't know how she felt about this; didn't know how she felt about any of it. Twenty-four hours ago Link had been undoubtedly hers. Twenty-four hours from now, he would be another girl's.

She didn't like the idea of sharing him. Even if Ashei wasn't romantically interested in him, he was still _hers. _He _belonged _to her, they belonged to _each other. _For nearly a year, Link had been the pillar of her life. He had become the reason she lived, the reason she functioned, and it had taken her so damn long to figure that out. As she was sweeping up glass shards into a dustpan, she wondered why this wasn't making her angry. She wondered why she wasn't crying, wondered why she didn't want to fight, and realized that she didn't feel sorrowful, but only a sense of what felt almost like insouciance.

The last of the glass now in the pan, Ashei dumped it all into a wastebin and turned to Link. He was standing very still at the edge of the room, a definite frown on his face.

"I'm sorry, Ashei. I am. I think I've made a mistake..."

_You have_, she wanted to say. _You'll never be happy like this_. _You know it, and I know it, and pretty soon, the whole world will know it._

"You haven't," she then said, forcing a smile. "Ilia will take care of you. You'll be happy here. You'll see." She reached for his hand, but he pulled away. That really stung...

"I should go," she said quickly. "People will be suspicious when they learn I stayed over with an engaged man." Link smirked at the indication.

"Even if it wasn't like that," he added softly.

"Yeah," she said. "Even if..."

She found her way to the door and opened it, and had one foot out when she turned back around. She looked at him, and he looked at her, and they smiled a smile of understanding at one another, and then the door shut, and that was it.

* * *

_...The room was dimly lit, the only illumination coming from the red embers in the fireplace. Moonlight crept in through the windows, washing Link's skin in patches of white and making it glisten where it was damp. He kept his eyes focused on the spot where their skin touched._

"_Tell me why you don't think you're a man," she requested, sincerity in her tone._

"_I don't know what constitutes a man," Link answered in the same solemn tone. "I don't know how to define it... it's too abstract. It's like I don't know what I want, so there's nothing to reach for... nothing I can hang on to..."_

* * *

Ashei couldn't go back to the village, of course, so she decided to take a walk through the forest. It was certainly a beautiful morning, and a quiet one. She closed her eyes for a minute, feeling the waning warmth of the sun on her lids. A moment later, she heard giggling from the trees. She glanced up to see Ilia and Shad walking in her direction.

"Good morn- oh," said Ilia suddenly, having really taken a look at Ashei. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Ashei said, shaking her head and forcing another smile. "Actually, things are... good. Uh, you should speak to Rusl. He and Link have made arrangements- providing you're willing, of course- for, uh, a wedding. _Your _wedding. To Link."

Ilia's brow furrowed. "He means to marry me?"

"Providing you're willing," Ashei repeated. Ilia's jaw dropped slightly in disbelief.

"Wow..." she said. "Wow, I didn't expect... this is big. This is really big. Oh, thank the gods." She seemed relieved all of a sudden. "I'm pleased, I really am- even if it doesn't seem that way, I am. The town is saved, Ordon is saved, oh-" she pulled Ashei into an embrace, and Ashei wished more than anything that she hadn't. "Thank you, Ashei," Ilia said, and even though Ashei didn't know what she was being thanked for, she said, "You're welcome."

Ilia pulled away. "I must speak with Father at once!" She trotted down the trail and Shad watched her go, eyes wide.

"Th-that's it," he said, his voice cracking. "That's the end of it. I've lost her. I really have." He slammed his cane into the ground in anger. "I was a fool to think she'd ever pick me!" he finally grunted. He caught Ashei's eye. "You must feel the same."

"I don't know what I feel."

Shad surveyed her. "Weren't you wearing those clothes yesterday?" he asked. Ashei nodded slowly. "Yes, I was..."

They were quiet for a minute. Then, after exhaling in defeat, Shad started to limp back into the woods. "Come along, Ashei. We haven't spent time together in a dog's age. How about we take a walk?"

Ashei just smirked. "All right, but you're asking for it." And with that, the two friends stepped out into the forest once more, a new found fellowship between them that had been so elusive hitherto.

* * *

"_...So what you want isn't real?" Ashei asked, thoroughly confused._

"_Nothing's real."_

_...She took their entwined hands and brought them to her chest. "But _I'm _real," she repeated, and she guided him down onto the mattress. She gazed at him laying broken there and for a terrible moment she felt choked up; Link was the only one that got her this way. He was the only one she cared about enough that her entire persona changed, from the way she thought, to the way she acted, to the way the chemicals ran through her bloodstream. Nobody else changed her this way. Not like he did._

_Because when Link was drunk- when he was stripped to the core of everything he wore as a mask, when he was laying broken under the weight of the world, when he was so brutally honest that Ashei was permitted to enter the crags of his mind- that was when she changed. When Link stopped being Hero, Leader, Fighter, Ashei stopped being Warrior, Joker, Tomboy, and she became Fire and he became Fuel, and they searched each other to find themselves._

_She rested her head over his chest, locking her arms around him and holding tight as if he might drift away without her as his anchor._

"_You are real," Link repeated, his voice heavy and drowsy with intoxication. "That's why you will always stay once all the rest is gone."_

* * *

**Dull filler chapter is poetically dull...? I wanted to really flesh out some of the character relationships in this chapter, but that's kind of hard to do when the plot is out to lunch.**

**Thanks to everyone for all of your support. As usual, I am totally indebted to you. This story would never have gotten off the ground without you guys.**

**Next chapter: the Wedding Day... or ****_is _****it?**

**Stay tuned...?**

**-Ctj**


	19. Chapter 19

**Attention readers: There is no way I'm proofreading this long-ass chapter, so I'm sorry in advance for any errors.**

"No wedding is a wedding without a stag party," Jaggle decided that evening, dragging Link out into the village. Link's gut squirmed uncomfortably.

"Thanks, Jaggle, but I really don't-"

"Nonsense!"

All of the men in the village were dressed rather nicely and were situated in the middle of Ordon, a ways off from the soldiers' camp. Link blinked in confusion as he realized that the men had brought their wives.

"What is this supposed to be again?"

"Your stag party," Jaggle reminded him.

Link shook his head. "This isn't a stag party, there aren't any girls at a-"

He was brushed aside as three of the younger children dashed towards the creek, stripping down into swimming clothes and jumping in. Link frowned.

"Okay, this is definitely not a stag party. What are we doing here?"

"Just having a spot of fun, that's all."

"Boy, Link, you look dog tired," someone said, and Link turned around. Colin.

"I am tired," Link confirmed, with no other way of saying it. "I'm very tired."

"Maybe you'd feel better if you took a swim," said Beth, who had materialized beside them. Link just smirked.

"I hardly think-"

"Do it! Do it!" she cried suddenly. "See that ledge?" She pointed over toward a small ledge overlooking the creek. "Climb up there. Jump over to the roof of my house, and you can jump into the water from there!"

Link continued shaking his head as the villagers looked on. "This is all very nice of you, but I really think that I'd rather-"

"GO LINK! DO IT!" It was Talo who was cheering, now, having overheard the conversation. Beth was already pedaling him toward some vines crawling up the side of the ledge.

"Up you go!" she commanded.

With an overly dramatic sigh, Link kicked off his boots and stripped out of his tunic. Beth giggled, her face turning pink. Then Link hoisted himself onto the ledge, thinking of what an idiot he must have seemed, and hopped over to Sera's shop's rooftop. The water swirled down below and he realized that he hadn't done anything like this in months.

"Jump! Jump! Jump!" The villagers chanted rhythmically. For a second, Link felt very reluctant. What a stupid thing to do, he thought.

But then he pushed those thoughts aside and he kicked forward, the cheers of the Ordonians echoing in his mind as the roof disappeared from underneath him and he sailed through the air for a moment before taking the plunge.

Clouds fogged up the sky the next morning. Ashei hadn't stayed the night this time; Link registered a heavy disappointment in her absence.

Then he remembered what today was.

He got up quickly and combed a hand through his hair. Wedding. Wedding. Oh, gods. He flopped facedown onto the mattress and sighed.

Today was supposed to be a happy day. A day of celebration, Rusl had said. So why was he dreading it so much? He groaned into his pillow, scrunching up his face for a minute before releasing all of the tension in his body. Okay. Breathe. It's a good day.

It took a minute for Link to steady himself on his feet. Last night had been another of those unpleasant nights, where he stood awkwardly amongst his once-friends before retiring early. He'd broken his only oil lamp and used up all the firewood, and he'd spent the night alone in the dark. It had been cold, and he'd cocooned himself in the blankets with a scowl that'd stayed till morning.

In all honesty, he was still ashamed at yesterday's outbreak. It had been embarrassing, that was for sure. He'd torn apart the house, had shouted in Rusl's face, and had broken down in front of Ashei. He knew that Ashei held him in ridiculously high esteem; in spite of all of his blatant faults, Ashei deemed Link worthy of hero worship. Link knew that _Ashei _knew that it was wrong to do so, but she was just the type to push aside all rational thought in favor of a more glorious one. Ashei liked romance, she liked adventure, and she adored the prospect of fantasy. Courage—for her, there wasn't a doubt in the world that bravery took precedence over everything else. Prior to the arrival of Link, she'd traveled far and wide in search of a home, only to reach the bitter realization that she wasn't accepted anywhere. And then, having come to this conclusion, she decided that there was nothing left to do but give herself away.

So she had given all of herself away. She'd suited up in leather and armor, and with a bow in one hand and a sword in another she'd assumed the role of Hyrule's defendant. She'd been raised a knight by her father; this Link knew from the time he had spent with her. He knew that Ashei's father had always wanted a son, but the birth of a daughter and the subsequent disappearance of the mother had left him without one. He'd gone on to raise the girl as if she were a boy, forcing her to fulfill tasks that were beyond the physical capabilities of a girl. Pushed beyond her limit, Ashei had left the harsh world of her father behind, only to find an even harsher world on the other side. It was true; she hadn't belonged anywhere. She'd joined a number of cults and hunting gangs in her teenage years, the details of which she never had been willing to disclose. And then there had been the resistance; finally, a place where she fit in, simply for the fact that _nobody _fit in. They were a band of misfits that, under any other circumstances, never would have gotten along.

But the presence of turmoil in Hyrule had changed that; times of trouble had called for a hero—Link the hero—and Link the hero had called for exactly what the resistance offered. Link's quest had called for a scholarly, adventurous old man who knew of the desert. And lo and behold, there he was. And then, when the mirror quest had brought Link into the mountains, his quest had called for a girl with intimate knowledge of Snowpeak. And so the mountain girl, the female knight, had stepped forward in his aid. And when the quest had threatened to bring Link into the clouds, the book nerd who had adopted his father's work had made himself known.

Yes— the dark days had brought Link into contact with some of the most important people he would ever meet. It was no underestimation to suggest that his quest would have been a failure without him. After all, what sort of hero works alone?

Even if Link was the celebratory hero, he wasn't the only Hero of Light. No, there was a mass of heroes lined up behind him—Ashei, Shad, Midna, Telma, Rusl, Auru, even Zelda had all played pivotal roles in Link's quest. And yet he was the celebrated one, he was the boy who'd been given a gold star for his efforts while all the others were pushed aside. And in that way, Link had been given a reputation to maintain while all the others were able to go off on their own.

He didn't know why he kept thinking of them. He supposed that his past adventures were on his mind more than ever nowadays, probably because he'd spent so much time being congratulated on them. And the sulking—gods, the sulking. Happiness had never seemed more out of reach than in those days surrounding Ashei's party, and in the days in Ordon that followed. Link had lived without a purpose for far too long. And the sickness had found a nice nesting place right within him; it a sort of depression that clawed away at a pit somewhere in the depths of his mind, and he didn't know how to get rid of it. Even in times where he'd been happy, there'd been that little nagging voice to remind him that he really wasn't. No, he'd been unhappy for far too long. And there's nothing more sorrowful than going for weeks without so much as a little laughter.

A knock at the door salvaged him from his thoughts and he swung it open tiredly. He had to blink a few times to register who was standing at the other side.

"What—Uli?"

"Good morning, Link!" Uli declared cheerily, entering the house without even being invited in. Link stepped aside as she dragged a bag behind her.

"What are you—"

"It's your wedding day!" Uli reminded him gleefully.

"I know, but—"

"Well," she said with a chuckle, "we couldn't let you get married in that dusty old tunic! Rusl's lending you his wedding suit."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Well… tell him I said thanks."

Uli smiled and hummed to herself as she pulled a deep brown tunic out of the bag, laying it out across Link's bed with a white cotton shirt. The leggings followed, along with a belt with a heavy silver clasp.

"Why are you doing this?" Link finally asked. Uli smiled gently and caught his eye.

"It's the least we can do for you," she said. "You deserve this." She approached him and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. "Link, today is a wonderful day. Ilia is a sweet, beautiful girl, and neither of you could ask for a more perfect partner. The entire village is looking forward to your union; the mayor—well, I suppose he's not the mayor anymore, but—_Bo _has even offered for you to take over his home, and he will move into another house. In only a matter of years, you and Ilia will lead this village through a new generation! It really is such a beautiful thing for us, you must understand."

Link didn't have the heart to tell her that he didn't want to marry Ilia, that he didn't want to be the mayor, that he didn't want to stay in Ordon. So he just forced a smile.

"Thank you so much," he said. Uli wrapped her cool, soft hands around his own dirty, gruff ones.

"Like I said," she replied, "it's the least we can do."

…

Ilia's eyes opened as a small white bird landed on her windowsill. She smiled a little when she saw that it had been cranked open to let in the morning air. A little sheet of parchment had been left on her nightstand. It read, _today's the day! _

She sat up in bed and stretched her arms far over her head. With a small bout of alarm, it occurred to her that it had been her last night sleeping alone. Tonight, she would share Link's bed. The idea was something both nerve-wracking and magnificent; to think, Ilia, the farm-girl, falling asleep in Link the hero's arms after years of childhood friendship. She knew that the other villagers had been waiting for this moment from the very beginning. She smiled a little at the thought and stood up, wobbling a bit as her pale, bare feet tried to steady themselves against the wooden floorboards. Once she'd gained her balance, she crossed the room, her nightgown fluttering about her. She rested a hand on the banister of the staircase, listening for sound downstairs.

Yes; there were footsteps. A slight shuffling. Shad must have been awake—

Her heart gave a small pang. _Shad. _Her smile vanished as she realized that by tonight, she would belong to Link, and Shad would be out of the picture. From that moment on, everything would be strictly platonic. She was a little disappointed at the realization that there would be no more flirting with the city boy. She'd enjoyed toying with him, although, you had to admit—it wasn't _all _toying. She'd been very serious about some of it. And there had been that night not-so-long ago where she had been attacked, and he had taken such good care of her…

She stopped short halfway down the staircase, staring ahead blankly. The memories of a few nights ago all rushed back, and she recalled the feeling of Shad's bony arms wrapped gently around her, of his warm breath against the back of her neck, of the yawns and sighs and little shifts of weight from his side of the bed that had reminded Ilia that she was not alone. Link didn't make her feel like that; if anything, Link was moody and dramatic. Link was part of a bigger picture that Ilia often felt overwhelmed by. With Link, Ilia always felt like she was trying to keep up. Link was exhausting, whereas Shad was… well, comfortable.

Ilia shook her head free of these thoughts. There was to be no more thinking of Shad, that was for darn sure. She noticed that her face had gone warm and that her heartbeat had increased, and got frustrated with herself.

Then she kept walking. Link—that was who she was going to marry. She was going to marry him because she loved him (she really did love him), and because she could take care of him when he was sad, and because they were going to save their home village. And then Link would become mayor, and Ilia would become the mayor's wife, and it would all be as the townsfolk had foretold during their childhood. Just like Ilia had always dreamed as a young girl.

She stopped at the bottom of the staircase. She had been wrong to suspect that it had been Shad in the kitchen. To her surprise, Pergie, Sera, and Beth were all seated at the kitchen table. Their faces lit up when Ilia emerged.

"There she is!" intoned Sera, getting to her feet and shuffling up to Ilia. "The beautiful bride!" She placed her hands on Ilia's shoulders and kissed her on both cheeks. "Oh, aren't you just precious!" Ilia blushed as Sera drew away and Pergie approached her, scrutinizing her.

"Oh, I think that she'll fit just fine."

Ilia frowned. "Fit into what?"

"Your mother's old wedding dress!" she answered. Ilia's jaw dropped.

"My mother's…"

"Yes, yes! It's in the cellar, your father is fetching it!" Sera explained.

"It's _real _pretty," Beth said from her spot at the kitchen table. Ilia just glanced around.

"Oh. Um… where's Link?" Ilia now asked.

"Don't be silly!" Pergie scoffed. "The groom can't see the bride before the wedding! It's bad luck!"

"I think that's just a—"

The trap door on the floor opened suddenly and Bo emerged with a long, white gown in his arms. He seemed almost solemn; no doubt the dress brought back memories of his late wife. He kicked the door shut behind him and handed the dress to Pergie, who hung it up from a peg on the wall. All of the women, including Ilia, stood back to admire it.

"Wow…"

"Told you it was pretty," Beth supplied as Ilia's breath hitched in her throat. The dress was white and layered, and Ilia couldn't help but admire its elegant design; she almost thought it resembled a swan in the way that it was so graceful.

"The wedding will be later tonight," Bo now explained. "Since I'm the mayor until tomorrow morning, I'll be helping you and Link to make your vows. Rusl and Jaggle are setting up the site for the wedding, so I s'pose…" He had lost the ability to talk. He was starting to tear up when he smiled. "My, but you look like your ma. You'll make a beautiful bride, Ilia." And then he shook his head and disappeared outside. Sera clasped her hands together in excitement.

"Well!" she said. "Let's get you all dolled up!"

"If only that Ashei girl would show up like she said she was going to—"

"Wait, what?" Ilia cut in.

"That Ashei girl. You know, Link's friend… the pretty one. She said she wanted to help you get ready, but I don't know where she's gone."

Ilia could merely blink. And then she turned away and smiled just the smallest bit.

…

"A little to the left… no, to the right… no, definitely left—" Bo directed as Jaggle and Rusl wobbled back and forth with a giant floral wedding arch in tow.

"Oh, not this again!" protested Jaggle, dropping his end of the wedding arch into the grass with a thump.

"Well I guess that solves the problem of where Link's getting married," Rusl decided.

"More like it solves the problem of where _Ilia's _getting married," Jaggle mumbled under his breath.

"Oy!" called Talo from off to the side. Jaggle looked up.

"What?"

"Where should we put these chairs?" asked Talo. He and Colin were dragging two wooden chairs each, and Malo was dragging one.

"Wherever you want—" Jaggle began irritably, but Rusl interrupted him.

"Facing the arch," he explained, pointing toward an empty spot on the grass. "Just leave room in the middle for an aisle, and then fetch some more. We'll need at least thirty if we want to seat all of the villagers and most of the soldiers."

"Boy, it's been years since we last put on a wedding," Jaggle noted, striding over to Rusl's side and wiping his hands on his shirt. Rusl smiled.

"The last wedding we put on was _my _wedding," Rusl said, and then his face grew solemn. "My best man was Link's father…"

"Listen, I know you get all wishy-washy about Link because you were friends with his dad," Jaggle began, "but that doesn't mean you need to baby the kid all the time! After today he'll be mayor."

Rusl's face darkened as he recalled Link's outburst from the day prior. "I can't help it, Jaggle. I worry about him."

"That's just like the lot of you to worry about him. He's the hero, for cryin' out loud!" Jaggle threw his hands out to the side in emphasis. Rusl recalled Link's words from yesterday.

_"Everyone still expects me to protect them. Even Ilia and Shad think that I'm in control," _he had said. And he had been so, so right.

…

Typical, Shad thought upon waking up, for a sad day to look sad.

Ilia was still asleep upstairs and the mayor was still asleep in his bed, so Shad got up from his cot and dressed slowly. He'd always been slow to rise, especially since it had been almost a month before Link and Ashei had roused him with a proper shouting-fest.

When he was finished dressing, he donned his glasses, grasped his cane, and walked outside.

It was one of those days where the entire sky was gray but there weren't actually any clouds. It was just bleak. The men were setting up a wedding scene out in front of the mayor's house; everything was beautiful, with white flowers to go with the gray sky. Shad limped past, giving a faint _hello _to Rusl before continuing on. On his way through the village he passed Pergie, Sera, and Beth, who were running in the direction of Ilia's house.

"Oh, hello, Shad!" Sera greeted. Shad gave a weak smile and a _good morning_ to each of them.

"And where are you off to?" asked Pergie. Shad shrugged.

"I think I'll visit the forest spring," he answered.

"Oh," Pergie answered, apparently thinking it strange. "Well, we're off to help Ilia prepare for her big day. I imagine you'll be staying for the wedding!"

Shad mumbled something in agreement and carried on walking. Well, limping. He was halted on his way past the soldiers' encampment.

"Hey, bookworm!" a soldier called. "Why the long face?"

"Sad your girl's getting married?" another asked. They laughed and high-fived, and Shad, with a roll of the eyes, carried on in his slow tread. He walked up the path, past Link's house, and entered the forest by himself.

For the first few seconds in the forest, he was uneasy. Shad was a scholar, after all, and not the type of scholar who went out and did field research. He was the stay-put type that much preferred exploring books. Wildlife was just plain uncomfortable.

His mind was put at ease when he entered the spring to find that he was no longer alone. For there, sitting on the white sand with her legs crossed and her chin in her palms, was Ashei.

"Oh. Hello," he said. After a second of silence, he nodded. "You're right. I'll leave—"

"Don't leave," Ashei interrupted, not turning around. "Come sit with me."

Shad obliged, and they sat for a minute in companionable silence. After awhile, he spoke up.

"You're sad," he pointed out.

"Yeah."

"Jealous?"

"A bit."

"Understandable."

"Don't act like you don't feel the same," Ashei then said, smirking a little and looking down. She was quiet after that. Shad thought about it for a second, and then he shook his head.

"You're wrong. It's not the same, because while Link is _yours _and that's why you don't want to give him up, Ilia was never mine to begin with."

Ashei glanced up. "You really think that?"

"I do."

She scrutinized him for a minute, brow drawn. And then she flopped onto her back and stared up at the sky. After a second, Shad mimicked the action.

"What a drear day, yeah?" she mused. "I hate days like this."

Shad sighed. After a few more minutes of silence, Ashei stood up.

"Well, I have to go help Ilia get ready," she said. Shad raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to—"

"I have to talk to her," Ashei said. "You know, explain some things about Link she might want to know before she marries him."

Now Shad was very confused. "What _sort _of _things?" _

Ashei smirked. "Now that's the kind of stupid question that will lead you into a lot of awkward situations."

"Wait—what—"

But she was gone.

With a sigh, Shad wasted a few more minutes in the spring before beginning the trot back. He ran into Uli on his way past Link's house.

"Oh—Shad!" Uli greeted. "How wonderful to see you. Link's just beginning to get ready for the ceremony, and he's been looking for you. He has to ask you a question."

Shad's brow furrowed. "And that is?"

"Well, why don't you ask him that yourself?" she suggested with a gentle smile before drawing away and leaving him alone. With a sigh, Shad obliged, climbing the ladder to Link's house in spite of his bad leg and knocking. A soft _come in _echoed from inside, and Shad let himself through the door.

He'd never actually been in Link's house before, and he allowed himself a look around. Link wasn't really one for decoration; if anything, his house was a jumbled mix of hodgepodge. Shad decided that he quite liked it and took a few steps further, halting when he caught sight of Link.

He was dressed formally in a brown tunic, just buckling a silver belt. All that was left was a loose cravat that apparently had been too complicated for Link's mind to process. He was standing in front of a mirror, and when he caught sight of Shad in the reflection, he smiled. Shad noted with some shock that the smile was genuine.

"Shad," he said with a grin. "Glad you could stop by."

Shad shifted his weight and frowned. "Well, don't _you_ look handsome," he said, and he wasn't sure whether he meant to say it mockingly or with contempt. Link obviously sensed that Shad was torn about something, but he didn't comment on it. He merely faced the mirror and tugged at the cravat angrily.

"Shad," he repeated. "Come and help me slay this scarf thing. It's awful."

Shad stepped forward, smirking for the first time. He spun Link around and helped to adjust it around his neck. "It's called a cravat. Try not to use it as bib."

Link chuckled. "Yes, Mother."

Shad's hands stalled and he frowned. "Uli said you wanted to ask me something." He glanced up at Link, finished adjusting the "scarf-thing," and stepped back.

"Yeah, I did," Link affirmed. He faced his reflection again, admired the latest addition to his outfit, and then caught Shad's eye in the mirror. "I was hoping you'd be my best man."

Shad was startled. "Me?"

"Did I stutter?"

He blinked a few times. "Well—I mean, yes, I'll do it—what about Rusl?"

Link merely shrugged. "These past few months have been very difficult for me. You know that. But I know you've been trying very hard to help me. It's been very… meaningful."

Shad thought about it for a moment. Of _course _he would be Link's best man—it would be rude to refuse. But there was a part of him that was upset that Link could stand here and look tall and handsome and be engaged to Ilia and _still _be unhappy. Because if Shad was tall, handsome, or engaged to Ilia, he'd be all _sorts _of happy. And to be a combination of all of those things? Why, he'd be euphoric.

But it was the least he could do. If not for Link, then for Ilia.

Ilia…

"Shad?" Link repeated, a concerned expression usurping his features. "Are you all right?"

Shad shook his head. "Of course I am. I'm very—I mean—congratulations, Link." And with that, he spun around. "Now," he said, fully aware that he was beginning to tear up in shameful jealousy, "what else can I do to help you get ready?"

…

"Why, bless your heart," said Pergie in wonder. "You look so beautiful…"

"Fetch a mirror! Fetch a mirror!" cried Sera in excitement, and Beth fled the room. She returned seconds later with a full length mirror and propped it up against the wall.

"Oh, my," Ilia said, again at a loss for words. The dress fit her perfectly, accentuating all of the curves in her slim frame. It draped around her feet, the cool white fabric rustling against her bare legs. They'd powdered her face just the slightest bit, and her hair had been combed out, falling around her face in a gentle, feathery fashion. Beth had crafted a wreath of flowers that she now placed around the girl's head, and the bouquet rested on the vanity off to the side.

The door opened from downstairs and the sound of footsteps pounding up the staircase followed. Ashei materialized at the top of the steps.

"Oh," she said, her face falling. "You're all ready."

"Nope!" said Beth, running forward with a gossamer object in her grip. "Here's the veil!" She shoved it into Ashei's arms. "You can put it on her."

Ashei frowned. "Wait—"

"We'll leave you to it, then!" said Pergie happily, and she, Sera, and Beth left in a hurry.

Ilia watched them go in confusion. "Why are they so…?"

"They think we're going to start fighting and they don't want to have to witness it."

Ilia frowned. "Why on earth do they think that?"

Ashei raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think?"

"Because I ate the last apple?" Ilia offered weakly, and Ashei didn't answer. She merely took the veil and walked behind Ilia, pinning it to the back of the flower wreath.

"You look pretty," Ilia said quietly. Ashei was dressed in a dark red dress, leggings, and sandals. It was remarkably girly when compared to her usual tunic-and-boots standard.

Ashei smiled a little. "…Thanks. I guess. I've never really…" She paused. "I've never been called pretty before."

"Everyone else thinks you're pretty," Ilia said. Ashei shrugged.

"For some reason, I doubt that."

"No, they… they really do," Ilia finished, and Ashei stepped back, the veil having been fastened on. Then she reached for the bouquet on the nightstand and handed it over to Ilia.

"Listen, Ilia… I was hoping I could have a word with you."

Oh.

Of course.

The shtick.

Ilia should have been expecting it; everyone knew that Link had been interested in Ashei, and everyone also knew that Ashei wasn't interested in him back. But Link was still pretty much Ashei's territory; no doubt she wanted to secure her position before handing him over.

"We need to talk about Link."

"I knew this was coming," Ilia said quickly.

"Down to business, then," Ashei said, sitting down on the bed and looking up at Ilia. "You know that he's sick."

Ilia paused, twirling the bouquet between her fingers. "Yes. I know that."

"Then you know the responsibility you're taking on."

Ilia and Ashei locked eyes, and Ilia stuttered in response, "I can take care of him, Ashei. I know you don't think I can, but I promise I will."

"And you know that he drinks a lot," Ashei continued, not bothering to respond to Ilia's protests. "And you know that he has nightmares, and you know that he's still in love with a girl named Midna, and you know that he gets violent when he's depressed, and you know that he talks in his sleep—"

"Ashei, stop—"

"I'm just letting you know how he hurts," Ashei said quickly. She stood up and Ilia took a few steps back.

"I'm not afraid of him, Ashei," she argued. "I'm not going to let go of him just because he's sick."

"I was at his house yesterday and he got so angry he trashed the whole room," Ashei continued. "He kicked over a bookcase and shattered an oil lamp—that's what he does when he's mad, he gets hung over and then he takes it out on people—"

"Stop it, Ashei! Just stop it!" Ilia cried, her fists clenched. "You're not going to talk me out of this! I don't care what you say, I don't care what anyone says, I _am _strong enough to stand by Link, whether or not you think I am! And I will stand by him for as long as he needs me, because that's what marriage is about. When I say I Do, I _mean _it, Ashei! I _mean _it!"

They stared at each other for a long moment. Ilia expected retaliation—something harsh, something cold.

And then Ashei's face split into an expression of relief. "Good," she said, not smiling, but no longer scowling. If anything, her countenance was solemn and reserved. "Good. I was just making sure."

Ilia raised her eyebrows. "You—what?"

"I'm ensuring that you're up to the task, yeah?" Ashei explained. "Ensuring that you're not going to bail out on him once you start getting scared."

"I won't get scared," Ilia insisted. Ashei's face softened.

"I know you won't. Ilia—" she stared at the floorboards— "Ilia, I know you and I have had our differences. And I know that you know that I didn't want you there because… well, because Telma was just inviting you because she wanted Link to marry you. And, well, I didn't want him marrying you because I didn't want to give him up. I didn't want to hand him over."

Ilia's lips parted into an _o_. "Ashei—"

"But I'm doing it now," Ashei continued quickly, an uncomfortable lump forming in her throat. "I'm doing it now because I understand that the situation is out of my control. Link's world doesn't revolve around me, even if mine revolves around him—" she stopped short, clamping her jaw shut. "I'm sorry. Listen, that's all I had to say. See you later, yeah? You look great."

Ilia watched Ashei as she drew away toward the staircase. "Ashei, wait!"

But she was already gone.

The door opened again downstairs and someone scampered upstairs. Pergie.

"Come along, Ilia, dear! The ceremony is beginning momentarily! Your father is waiting outside, almost in tears, the poor thing…"

Clutching her bouquet, Ilia followed Pergie down the wooden steps and out into the late afternoon air. The sky was clogged up with clouds, and the fire-red leaves were in sharp contrast with the white flowers surrounding the area where the ceremony was to be held.

It really was a beautiful little scene; a white wedding arch with white flowers woven in was at the end of a long aisle, and at either side of the aisle were every assortment of wooden chairs, probably supplied by the villagers themselves. The townspeople had all dressed in what was probably their very best, and they were chatting amongst themselves, waiting for the bride to arrive.

Ilia was observing the scene from her own front porch when she noticed that a line of soldiers was marching in her direction. She rolled her eyes and groaned as they split into ranks of two and then divided down the middle, turning to face inward and thus creating a column from her front porch to where the aisle began. She couldn't help but feel self-conscious in front of them, especially considering their inclination to the perverted. Her first step forward felt ghostlike, and suddenly she froze in place, realizing that she was being observed. She stepped back up onto the porch and scurried out of sight and around the corner, and it was there that she bumped very accidentally into Shad.

He hadn't noticed her approaching; hadn't even known she'd been close, which was probably why he was so startled when she literally collided with him. He turned—started to excuse himself—stopped dead.

Oh, gods. Oh gods, oh gods, was she beautiful. Pale eyes feathery hair elegant posture flushed cheeks nervous smile. Ilia, small, graceful, wonderful, joyful Ilia in a wedding dress, and quite the right wedding dress, too, because it fit her in all the right places and pooled around her feet and made her look so very ethereal, ethereal like a swan in moonlight. Ilia, white dress, porcelain skin, pale hair, pale like snow against those fiery red leaves that spread out like a fan and swirled down through crisp autumn air, Ilia, a beacon, shining _right there in front of him_. Ilia, oh _gods, _Ilia, and Shad's heart throbbed madly in his chest and his throat tightened up and Shad knew that he was very very _very _much in love.

"Y—you look… breathtaking… Ilia."

He could tell she was nervous; she rarely shook like that.

"Shad," she said quietly. She was toying with the bouquet ribbon almost obsessively, and her eyes dashed back and forth, finally anchoring on Shad, who was staring shamelessly. "Shad, I—"

She shook and shook, jaw opening, clamping shut, trying to find words, but they so eluded her that she had to give up completely. Tears rushed forth, balancing perilously on her lashes, threatening to fall, and she just stood there, overcome with emotion, and then she broke.

"Shad, I'm scared."

Ilia hadn't admitted it to anyone else; she had even shouted at Ashei, insisting that she wasn't frightened of what was to come. She had promised to devote herself to Link, had promised to devote her _life _to dramatic, traumatized Link. She had told herself that she would willingly sign herself over to the boy; she'd paid only a little thought to Shad, but now, as she stared the red-haired, love-struck boy right in the eyes, she knew just how difficult signing herself over to Link would be. Because there was already a part of her that had signed itself over to someone else, and that 'someone else' was standing right in front of her.

She fell forward and he accepted her into his arms wordlessly. She didn't weep; she didn't do anything. She just wrapped her arms around Shad and noticed how gentle he was.

"You're going to be okay," he promised. "You'll both be okay."

Ilia sighed. "Do you promise?"

Shad didn't answer. He didn't promise.

The embrace lasted several moments more, and Shad relished every second of it. He expected Ilia to end it first, but when she didn't seem to be pulling away, Shad ended the moment himself. He would have sworn he felt a thread snap when he pushed her away from him and they broke contact.

"Go on," he said. Ilia was shaking her head.

"Will you give me away?" she asked. Shad shook his head.

"I'm Link's best man; I have to stand at the head of the aisle with—"

"Please," she pleaded. "Please, just do this for me. Just this one thing, _please_—"

Without another word, Shad laced his arm through his and squeezed tightly. He could feel the vibration of her heart against his arm and was startled; good _gods_, she was nervous.

They turned the corner and Ilia's face went white. Shad squeezed again.

"Remain calm. I've got you."

They proceeded through the column of soldiers, coming to a halt at the beginning of the aisle. The mayor was standing at the head of the aisle with Link, who looked incredibly melancholy for somebody who was about to be married. He was casting his gaze into the crowd; after careful examination, Shad pinpointed exactly who Link was looking at, and it just so happened that she was staring straight back.

Ashei…

Shad glanced down at Ilia, who was also watching Link.

"He's going to miss her," Ilia whispered, and the words sounded very forced and strange, as if she'd just come to some extravagant epiphany.

"No," Shad argued weakly, "you two will be happy together." He wasn't sure whether he felt any better by saying that. "After all," he added, trying to back up an argument with himself, "I heard you two talking a few days ago, the morning of the Fall Festival."

Ilia frowned. "What?"

"That morning, you and Link were downstairs arguing, and I could hear you from upstairs. You were arguing over Ashei, and then he kissed you on the forehead and said you'd love each other in spite of Ashei's interference…" the words made less and less sense as Shad recounted the scene, and Ilia's bewildered expression only topped it off.

"But when we said that—Shad—Shad, oh, you must have misunderstood, we didn't mean it like that."

"Wait, a second, didn't you—" Shad stuttered, and then stopped as his eyes bugged out. "Oh," he said quietly. And then it clicked. _Ilia and Link weren't in love at all._

He didn't have time to say anything else as the sound of Hanch's fiddle met their ears. The mass of villagers turned and they all faced Ilia; for a minute, they beamed, and then their faces were struck with confusion as they realized that Shad was at her side. For a moment, they glanced back and forth at one another, wondering why that strange scholar boy was leading Ilia down the aisle. But then they all realized how beautiful she looked, and how lovely she would look next to Link on the altar, and they didn't know anything about Link's quest or about how sick he was or about how scared Ilia was, and they certainly didn't know anything about a warrior girl or a scholarly boy that may or may not be getting in the way. All that they saw was what was on the surface, and they were shallow like that; they always had been shallow. Link had pointed it out early on; he had warned the others that his reputation would precede him, and here he was, marrying a girl he didn't love in the way that a husband ought to love his wife, because he had been right all along. His reputation did precede him. And the villagers didn't realize what they were doing to him.

They didn't realize that they were tearing him away from his life source, that was for sure. Because Ashei _was _his life source; with what other individual had Link ever felt so big, and yet so small? No two people in the world had ever been so overwhelmed by one another, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.

The ascension to the end of the aisle was ghost-like, and as the sound of Hanch's fiddle ceased, Shad knew that it was time to let Ilia go.

He'd never actually realized how real this moment would be. He'd been putting it off in his head for the past twenty-four hours, almost brushing it aside as if it wouldn't actually happen. And yet here he was, handing over the girl of his dreams to the boy of everyone else's dreams, and it all felt very strange and numb. He stepped off to the side as Ilia's hand slipped into Link's, and the dream couple stood side-by-side before the village with erect shoulders and plastic smiles.

"We are gathered here today…" Bo began, reading from a book propped in front of him. Link and Ilia turned to each other underneath the arch, and Shad glanced nervously at Ashei. She was looking off to the side; perhaps she couldn't watch? Then he turned to the woman standing behind Ilia, Sera, who had proclaimed herself the maid of honor for no discernible reason.

"…To celebrate the union of hearts through blessed matrimony, both civil and holy in disposition," Bo continued. "The gods smile from above on this ceremonious day… um… yeah, I'm just gonna skip this next part…"

Ilia and Link shot each other odd looks, but Bo's abridged version of the ceremony was at least lighthearted enough to evoke a small smile from each of them.

"…Ah, here's the important stuff," Bo said, pointing to a section of the page before him. "As mayor of this town, it is my civil duty to join your—well, our—houses legally. Now, Link and Ilia, I ask you two to join hands. Sera, place your hand on Ilia's shoulder, and Shad, place your hand on Link's shoulder." The best man and maid of honor obliged, and then Bo squinted at the tiny print on the page before him as he began to recite:

"Today the houses of Ilia and Link of Ordon will be joined through the exchanging of vows. So, Link, I ask you: do you take Ilia as your cherished wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"

Link's expression remained blank as he answered, very steadily, "I do." (Ilia couldn't help but wonder what sort of tumult lay underneath the vague façade.)

Then Ilia's father turned to her. "Ilia," he said, choking up a bit, "I ask _you: _do you take Link as your cherished husband—"

_Oh, gods…_

"—to have and to hold—"

_This is it this is it this is it…_

"—from this day forward—"

Adrenaline rushed through her blood. _Calm down, Ilia, _she told herself.

"—for better—"

_It's going to be okay._

"—for worse—"

_Shad said so._

"—for richer—"

_Shad _promised _so._

"—for poorer—"

_And Shad's always right._

"—in sickness or in health—"

_Should I shouldn't I should I shouldn't I—_

"—to love and to cherish—"

_I should I should I should I really should—_

"—until death do you part?"

The word _death _shattered the image as she realized that this was it, this was Link, this was the rest of her life being handed to her on a silver platter. Link, a young man, Link, middle aged and tired, Link, old and gray, Link, a corpse. And she was suddenly uncomfortable— was she ready to accept that?

And then she remembered the village. She remembered the soldiers, and she remembered the danger they were in, and realized that this was the sacrifice the mayor's daughter was expected to make. This was the duty she owed to a group of people who revered her, and she knew that it had to be her and it had to be Link, because that was the way things were meant to be and _NO! _This was _NOT _the way things were meant to be! Oh, the turmoil—no, Link wasn't meant to be with her, Link couldn't spend the rest of his life in this hated village, no, Link needed to be free, Link needed to be with Ashei, Ashei was his lifeline—Ashei was his lifeline…

"I—"

Her words hitched in her throat as the rest of the village sat on pins and needles. _Just say it, Ilia. Just do it._

_ No, don't. Don't sign your life away! Don't sign __**Link's **__life away!_

_ Make the sacrifice!_

_ It's not worth it!_

_ There's not another way!_

_ There's always another way!_

She clutched her head suddenly, wincing in pain. "STOP, STOP!" she cried, trying to shut up the voices in her head. She pivoted on her heel and the villagers gasped as she shouted, "No, I don't, I can't!" And then the tears burst free of the barrier and streamed down her face. The bouquet collapsed to the ground and Ilia turned to face Link, and then her father, and then the villagers—abhorred, all of them. Betrayed.

Rasire stood up suddenly, fuming. "What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded, and Ilia was shouting before she could stop.

"It's not fair, none of it is fair!" she insisted, gesturing around. "Do you really expect me to resign myself to this?!" she cried. "You expect me to just _stick _myself here and stay? You expect _Link _to stay?! You expect us to marry each other even though we aren't in love, even though there are other people?! It's not fair!"

"Of course it's not fair!" cried Rasire from the back of the crowd, and he strode suddenly forward. "It's _politics!"_

"Oh, shut it, Rasire!" Ashei yelled, having gotten to her feet after the initial bout of shock faded away. "It's not like you wanted them to go through with it, anyway!"

"_Excuse _me!" Rasire practically spat. He had his sword out before anyone could say another word and he marched up to the altar, leaning right up into Link's space. "You all _insisted _that we stall in our mission, _insisted _that we not replace your leader, _insisted _that we allow you to put on a wedding! Ha! Why, you're liars, all of you, liars! Oh, yes, what a show! Encore, encore!" He clapped his hands mockingly. "What will it be next? A protest? A revolt? What shall the Ordonians pull from their bag of tricks this time?"

The villagers could merely watch, caught in a paralysis of fear. Rasire beckoned his soldiers forward and they all drew their swords, forming a circle around the villagers.

"No more of this!" he cried. "No more of your games! _NONE _of you are to be trusted! From this day forth, this village will be under high-security scrutiny. We'll call in another legion if we have to; we'll have soldiers and spies boarding in your homes if that's what it comes to! You'll all be taken in for questioning—"

"STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"

And then Link strode forward, his face bright red as he fumed with anger. Rasire started to protest and Link kicked him in the stomach so hard that he collapsed backward onto the grass. Link wrenched the sword from his opponent's grip and kept him pinned to the ground with it. When the others started to protest, Link stepped down—_hard—_on Rasire's arm, and it snapped with a sickening _crack. _Blood rushed from the wound and the soldiers gasped in shock. Link raised the sword threateningly.

"Nobody move!" he cried, and turned to Ashei. "Give me some backup here."

Ashei, naturally deft, caught the nearest soldier in a headlock and swiped his sword free, twirling it in her grasp as she took her position at Link's side. The soldiers began to close in as Rasire howled in pain from down below.

"What's got into you?" Ashei muttered.

"I'm a bachelor again," he replied, which only created more questions.

"Are you suggesting something?"

"Just raising a point," said Link with a smirk, and he moved forward suddenly, caught in a whirlwind of blades. Ashei scrambled in after him, taking a fighting stance as soldiers swarmed in from all sides. And then, without so much as a warning, Link unleashed a spin attack that took out five soldiers at once.

The villagers screamed and ran out in all different directions as Link and Ashei were caught in the heart of a full-fledged brawl. They swung and hacked and _fought, _and Link fought with a vigor that Ashei had never seen in him. A vigor that she thought had gone away long ago—only yesterday he'd sworn he couldn't raise a sword! So why had he changed? What had happened to evoke such a sudden transition in the once-hero?

It. Made. No. Sense.

The rush of battle continued as Link attacked every soldier he saw in a blind fury. Before long, the white flowers had been splattered with crimson, and it didn't end until four soldiers lay dead and the rest wounded at Link's feet. And he could only stand there, soaked in blood, sword in hand, panting for air as he gazed at his handiwork.

And then he threw the sword to the ground as if it were poison.

Ashei was similarly bloodstained, and she noticed a throbbing that had been hiding until now; looking down, she noticed a giant gash in her side. It was funny… it hadn't started to hurt until she'd noticed it…

"That's been bottled up for a long, long time," Link finally said amidst the groaning. And then he looked up. Saw Ashei. His eyes went wide as he saw the glaring wound—

And then her legs gave out as she lost consciousness.

Link's eyes widened and he rushed forward, gathering her body into his arms as the blood continued seeping from the gash in her side. The world blurred around him and all he could focus on was her; she was fading fast…

"HELP!" he cried, his voice cracking. "HELP, SOMEBODY HELP! SHE'S DYING!"

**8,000 words later, the chapter is finished.**

**Sorry for the three-week hiatus. I've been battling some writer's block.**

…**Anyway, finally! We've been launched headfirst into the beginning of the end. We have seen a large contrast between Link's character at the end of this chapter and his character in the heart of last chapter. I received several comments from angry readers last time complaining that Link has gotten far too weak. My dear readers: you are correct. I did this intentionally. Obviously, our hero had to sink as low as he possibly could before he could begin to make his comeback. (And I'd like to think that the comeback has finally begun.)**

**Next chapter: Link is done taking Crevan's shit, and he's ready to let the world know. **

**Review and let me know your thoughts! :) Thanks.**


	20. Chapter 20

Shrieks pervaded the room as Link kicked open the door to Ilia and Bo's house. His face was dark, his eyes gleaming with a sort of hurried madness. At his one side was Shad; at the other side, Rusl. And in his arms, limp, bloodied, and white, was Ashei.

There was something sad in the way that he carried her. His grasp was delicate yet desperate, as is customary for a man who is carrying the woman he loves. He had one arm around her shoulders, her head lolling to the side, lips parted, black hair cascading down against his chest. His other arm was under her legs, her sandaled feet dangling down toward the floor, limp and unmoving. And his face was _so _drawn, _so _frantic…

He crossed the room in two strides, and the townspeople that had fled into the house when the brawl had broken out parted to two sides as Link hurried up the staircase and deposited Ashei onto Ilia's bed. Her face was bleach white as the blood rushed from her wound, a dark, dark scarlet color as it pooled against the white sheets. Once her body was safely on the mattress, Link kept hold of her hand, and his gaze, fraught with distress, didn't leave her.

Shad and Rusl had helped him to take Ashei's body off of the scene of battle without interruption from soldiers. A glance out of the window showed the mangled bodies still laying face-up in the crimson grass, and Shad had to tear his eyes away from the scene. Brutality, all of it. What was the world coming to? Link had fought to save Hyrule, had fought and had driven himself _mad _fighting, and for what? For this. For more fighting, and more brutality, and it occurred to Shad in that moment that Hyrule would never be saved. Hyrule would always be at risk, would always be under another enemy's gaze, because Ganondorf had brought it into the limelight during the dark days, and now it was the subject of every conqueror's dreams.

He was shaken free of his thoughts as a pair of arms wrapped around him. He turned to see Ilia, still in her wedding dress, holding onto him as if he were the only thing keeping her up. He wrapped an arm around her absently, and turned back to Link, whose face had fallen into his hands.

Link's hands slowly drew down his face and dragged along his neck as he took a deep breath, tears brimming around the edges of his eyes. Rusl's hand landed on his shoulder and he glanced back at Ashei, whose breathing was shallow and rapid as she drifted in and out of consciousness. The world seemed to vanish around him; stupid, stupid, so _damn stupid _of him to allow this to happen to her…

He gulped. "What do we do?" he finally asked, urgency in his tone. His heart was racing in his chest and he could feel the room go tense, the group at a loss for a solution. When a few seconds of silence had passed, Link clenched his fists and threw his head back. "WHAT DO WE DO?!" he cried, and he grasped Ashei's clammy hand in two of his own, squeezing absently as the world shook around him. But there was still silence, and nobody knew; nobody had an answer.

_We need a miracle, _Link thought.

There were further screams from downstairs and then footsteps thundered up the staircase. One of Rasire's knights stood before them in full armor, and Link drew the stolen sword instinctively. The soldier shook his head rapidly.

"No, please!" he gasped. "I'm not here to hurt you!"

"Then why are you here?!" Link demanded, realizing how difficult it was to form words through the lump in his throat.

"I'm here to ask you for help—"

"Absolutely not," Link said, turning away.

"Please—"

"My decision is final."

"I can help you save her!" The soldier cried. Link turned immediately to him, dropping Ashei's hand. He pointed his sword directly at the man's face.

"Are you lying to me?"

"No, I—"

"Because I swear to Farore, if you are lying to me, you will regret it until the end of your days."

"I'm not lying!" the man cried. Link's sword lowered a little and the man glanced fearfully towards Ashei. "…May I?"

"Go ahead," Rusl said, pushing Link to the side as the soldier plowed through.

He glanced at the slash in Ashei's side. "…Remove her garment. I need to see the wound."

Ilia stepped forward and unfastened the laces on the red dress, pulling it off of Ashei's body and exposing her stomach and shoulders, her chest still covered by some undergarment. The slash in her side was long and dark, and she was losing blood quickly.

"Just as I thought," the soldier said, and turned. "You'll want to bandage her up," he said directly to Ilia, who nodded curtly and ran downstairs to grab supplies. Then he turned to Link, who was skeptical.

"Why are you helping us?" Link asked, still refusing to sheathe his sword.

"I told you, I know a way to heal her wound," the soldier insisted, and then he put his hand forward, exposing for the first time how bloodied and mangled it was. "Look, my hand's been diced up," he remarked. "I need to heal it, but I'm going to need help. I figured I could help save the girl, too, but I'll need one of you to go with me…"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Link demanded.

"Fairy water!" the soldier finally cried. Link narrowed his eyes.

"Water from the Ordona Spring isn't strong enough to save her!" he cried, disappointed at having gotten his hopes up. But the soldier only shook his head.

"I don't mean the water itself, I mean the _source _of the water; I mean the fairies!"

Link's eyebrows knit together. "The fairies won't be any help, they left a long time ago—"

"No, they didn't." It was Shad who had spoken, and all attention in the room turned suddenly to him. His eyes had grown wide with epiphany. "Well, they may have left, but they're not the source of the spring's healing properties," he said. Now the entire group was confused.

"Then what is?" asked Rusl.

"It's more than likely that there's a deposit of ordealium chloride somewhere at the source of the spring."

"Ordealium chloride?" asked Rusl.

"Uh, yeah. Um. Ionic bond," Shad provided, but the entire room was confused. Exasperated, he rolled his eyes. "Please tell me you know at least _something _about Chemistry."

"Chem… what?"

"Didn't any of you go to school?!" Shad cried, and he beckoned for the group to come forward. "Ordealium is an element that's usually found in an ionic bond with chlorine. It's a sort of… well, a sort of powder. You know how salt dissolves in water?"

"Yeah…"

"Well it's like that," Shad explained, "except instead of sodium, it's ordealium."

"I'm so lost right now…" the soldier said.

"Well, you won't be for long," Shad finally said, "because you're coming with me. We're going to get some ordealium chloride, and we're going to be quick about it." Shad turned to Link, who was almost blank in expression. Shad took a deep breath and rested his hands on Link's shoulders, staring him right in the eye. "I promise we will save her, Link," Shad said, and there was a bit of collective surprise as Shad took over the situation. Then he turned to Ashei, took her hand limply for a minute, gave a weak smile of reassurance—even though she wasn't able to witness it—and then turned on his heel and marched out of the room.

"Wait—I'm still confused," the soldier claimed, but Shad just shook his head.

"I'll explain it on the way. Follow me!"

They shuffled down the stairs, the crowd of Ordonians staring wide-eyed from the main room of the house. Shad glanced around the room for a brief second; after careful scrutiny, his gaze landed on Colin, who was standing off to the side.

"Colin!" he called, and the boy presented himself. "Colin," Shad said, "Do you know the woods well?"

"Yes," Colin answered.

"Good. I'll need you to be our guide." And with that, Shad, Colin, and Rasire's (apparently disloyal) soldier set out into the village.

…

When they had entered the forest and had come upon the spring, the unlikely trio split up, examining the oasis.

"Can we follow this creek up to the source?" Shad asked.

"Yes," Colin answered. "It's a ways up, though. Could take ten minutes to get there."

"How?" asked Shad. "We haven't got ten minutes."

"We could run," Colin suggested, and then sighed. "Just follow me." He ran through the side and clambered up onto a rock, leading behind the small waterfall that bordered the far edge of the spring. Shad followed, not even paying a thought to the danger presented by the great outdoors. This was about saving Ashei; nothing else mattered. The soldier followed, a frown on his face as he clutched his injured hand.

"What exactly are we looking for?" he asked as the density of the trees increased. Shad nearly stumbled over a root as he pressed forward through the undergrowth, knowing that somewhere among the trees, the fungi, the roots, the moss, the grass, the rocks, the weeds, _somewhere _along the banks there must have been a deposit of ordealium chloride.

"We're looking for a purple powder," Shad explained. "It dissolves in water to make what you'd call Fairy Water. It's the reason the spring has healing properties… you'd call it magic, but what you call magic, I'd call an advanced form of science."

"How does it heal people?" Colin now asked. The soldier shrieked from behind them as Colin stepped on a twig. Shad scoffed.

"Some soldier _you _are," was all he said. The soldier narrowed his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean, book boy?"

_It means I've spent the past year in the company of real soldiers, _Shad wanted to say, _and you're just a big coward._ But he just shook his head.

"Never mind."

But there was something about the soldier that definitely did harbor a sense of cowardice, and Shad was aggravated by it. All this time he'd thought _himself _a coward, but men like this soldier often reminded Shad what it meant to discern between a bombastic attention-seeker and someone who held real courage. And this man was definitely the former. Still, he had offered to help Ashei, and that was more than Shad could have prayed for.

"Fairy water heals people," Shad now explained, "because ordealium is a key element in an amino acid called triftine. It bonds with other amino acids to form a powerful, fast-acting protein... it accelerates the process of mitosis... divides the normally 24-hour replication time by itself. It takes less than an hour for the body to replace badly damaged cells, and that makes it hard to bleed to death. The body repairs itself almost immediately under the protein's influence; I mean, until the triftine has been used up, that is."

Colin and the soldier just blinked in severe confusion.

"What...?"

"Oh, just forget it!" Shad cried, and marched on. But just as he was marching in his fury, his toe caught on a root, and he went plummeting straight into the creek that they'd been following. "Yuck!" he cried, drenched from head to toe. He stood up immediately, trying to wring out his jacket as the water rushed around his ankles. He spotted a cut across his palm and frowned. "Darn it- wait-" His eyes widened as the cut vanished immediately. His heart sped up and he glanced back and forth.

"It's somewhere around here!" he cried, his palm as good as new. "Look for a purple powder!" He stumbled across the creek, stepping up onto the bank and glancing around hurriedly. Where was it, where was it...?!

"IT'S OVER HERE!" someone cried, and Shad glanced over to where Colin was jumping up and down. Sure enough, concentrated onto one side of the bank, just hidden under a sheet of foliage, was a pile of sparkling purple powder. Shad's eyes bugged out of his head and he retrieved a bottle from where he'd been keeping it at his belt; he filled the bottle to the brim with ordealium chloride and then corked it, and then he filled a _second _bottle, because you really never could be too sure with these sorts of things.

He fastened both bottles to his belt and turned around, putting his best game face on. "We're not done yet," he said. "Quick- let's return to Ilia's house."

...

And so they returned as rapidly as they could, retracing their steps through the forest and rushing down the dirt path that led through the village. They had almost made it when they were stopped in their tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?!" It was Rasire. Of course. His arm was in a sling from where Link had broken it; behind him, a mass of soldiers had gotten to work cleaning up their slain men. Rasire was fuming.

"Let us through," Shad said, and Rasire just laughed madly.

"Oh, sure. Of course. You and the child can go right along. But _you-" _he faced the soldier that had forsaken him- "What do you think _you're _doing?!"

The soldier gulped. "I just thought- to heal my hand-"

"Run away again and I'll break the other one!" Rasire barked. "Now go help clean up those bodies! Four of your comrades lay dead and yet you assist the enemy!"

"Yes, Sir," the soldier answered weakly, and he set off. Shad watched him go, his face drawn. Then his face went pink with rage.

"Now just you listen here!" Shad cried, and Rasire turned to him in rage.

"Are you _threatening _me, book boy?!" Rasire cried. Shad gulped nervously.

"Yes," he answered decisively. "Yes, I am."

Rasire howled with laughter. "Very well, then! What is it you desire?"

"Let that man go!" Shad cried. "Let that man come with us and heal his hand. You healed yours!"

Rasire narrowed his eyes. "Do you dare-"

"Yes I dare!" Shad said immediately, his heart hammering away in his ribcage. Colin was gaping at him, obviously shocked by Shad's display of courage. But Shad knew that it was time to man up; no more playing around. He wasn't going to be a coward. Cowardice was below him, and this was about saving his friend. This was about being a hero.

Because it wasn't just Link, he realized. It wasn't just Link who was the hero of Hyrule. They were all heroes of Hyrule, but they were heroes on a slightly smaller scale. They were heroes in the way that they stood up for what was right, no matter the circumstances.

But Rasire didn't seem to agree. "Say that again, book boy! Say that again to my face!"

There was a sword five feet away... it was tempting. Should he take it...?

His question was answered as Rasire drew his own blade and swung forward. Shad dodged the blow and grabbed the sword that been left in the dirt. He defected a second blow but stumbled back at the force, the blade slackening in his weak grip. A third blow almost dislodged the blade completely, and he had to jump to the side to avoid being struck. Then he swung; he missed terribly, of course, but it was enough to shock Rasire into moving back. Another swing, and the blades met in midair, and then Shad swung a final time- the blade flew out of his hand-

-And sliced the tip of Rasire's ear off.

Shad's eyes widened. _No way... _he thought, recalling a time when he had once done the same thing to Auru. Ashei had commented on it herself. "_You're lucky you didn't slice off his head," _she had said.

_Ashei._

Rasire stumbled to the side, grasping the side of his head with his good hand and glowering at Shad. Adrenaline rushing through his blood, Shad grabbed one of Colin's wrists, and one of the soldier's wrists, and bolted towards the house.

When he got inside, he freed them. The soldier was just staring at him in disbelief. To be honest, Shad was still amazed at what he had just done, but there was no time to dwell on it now. Ashei was dying, and they had to save her.

There was still a heavy concentration of townspeople in the house, and Shad had to shout to get all of their attention.

"EXCUSE ME!" he cried, and the room fell silent. "Thank you!" he called. "Now, I need one of you to do something very important! We need to boil water in a pan in order to dissolve this... uh, this stuff in this bottle!" He held up the bottle of ordealium chloride.

"I'll take care of it!" Pergie cried, and she filled a pot with water from the pump and rested it over the fire. In a matter of minutes, the water had begun to boil, and Shad measured out a rather hefty amount of ordealium chloride onto a spoon and then poured it into the pot, stirring as he went.

"There needs to be a heavy amount of ordealium chloride for it to be a saturated solution," Shad was explaining. "You see, we want there to be just the right amount, and we want it to be heavy on the ordealium... that's the most crucial part, you see. It needs to be stronger than ordinary Fairy Water to be a proper medicine. It needs to be able to heal fatal wounds."

He glanced back into the pot, stirring for a few more minutes until all that was left was a violet solution. The powder had seemingly all dissolved; satisfied, he poured a portion of it into a wooden bowl, and, holding it carefully in his hands, began the ascent up the stairs. For a minute, all was quiet. Then, a wail pervaded the house.

"Ashei!" someone cried from upstairs. _Link._

Shad ran upstairs as quickly as he could without spilling his tonic. Link and Rusl were at Ashei's bedside, and Link's face had gone a deathly shade of gray. He was grasping Ashei's hand with unimaginable ferocity; at his side, Ilia combed a calming hand through Ashei's hair as the girl thrashed in place. Her breathing had gone rapid; _she's dying, she's really dying..._

"Here, I'm here!" cried Shad, bursting forth with the wooden bowl in his arms. He was at Ashei's side in a heartbeat, and Link moved out of the way as Shad placed a gentle hand on Ashei's jaw and opened it just the slightest bit. Ashei was sweating profusely, somewhere between a conscious and an unconscious state. _She probably doesn't realize what's going on_, Shad thought.

Gently, he tipped the bowl up against Ashei's lips, and the violet liquid trickled into her mouth. She swallowed automatically, and, the dose complete, Shad handed what was left of the tonic to Ilia.

"I need you to administer this to her wound," he said, trying to ignore Ashei, who was beginning to moan behind him. Eyes wide, Ilia took a towel from where it was hanging on the bedpost and did as she was told. She wet the warm, moist towel with the tonic Shad had created, and removed the bandages from the wound, pressing the towel up to the skin. Ashei fidgeted uncomfortably from the hot water, but Ilia didn't falter; she did as she was told, and slowly, Ashei drew still.

Nothing...

Silence...

Link's face was pale and his voice shook when he spoke. "Is... is she breathing?"

Ilia pressed an ear up to Ashei's chest. For a moment, there was nothing. Ilia's face drew solemn... she checked for a heartbeat...

Her eyes closed slowly. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, pulling her ear away. She took Ashei's hand, but the body had gone limp, now. Ilia took the towel and wiped the sweat from Ashei's brow; she closed the half-open eyes with her fingers, and then turned to Link, who was staring blankly.

"No... she can't be..."

He was on the verge of tears, now. He collapsed at Ashei's side, wringing her hand in his own. "Ashei, wake up! Wake up, Ashei, just wake up! Don't you go, don't you dare go- come on! Come on, Ashei!" He balled his hands into fists and pressed hard against her stomach, as if he might get her breathing again. Nothing happened, and Ashei remained limp. Several more times he threw the weight of his palms against her abdomen; several more times, nothing.

He drew still and his eyes fell shut. Tears were falling, now, hot as they plastered to his cheeks. "Ashei," he said quietly, resting a hand in her hair. "Ashei, please, you can't die, you can't do this, you _don't _die. This is my fault! I get it now, it's my fault! I screw everything up, I know that now! You've made your point, now _wake up!_"

But nothing happened, and Link pulled away. The tears continued to fall, but his expression was vague. Then he kneeled down and placed a kiss on her forehead. He whispered something, too, but what he said, nobody knew. It wasn't for them to hear.

He stood up; blankly, he removed himself from her side. And then a fit of rage overtook him and he kicked a chair so hard it went reeling across the room and crashed into the wall. Then he withdrew his sword from his sheath and marched across the room, a look on his face that nobody had seen since the dark days.

"Where are you going?" Ilia asked, and Link turned around. When he did, his eyes burned with anger and ferocity the likes of which Ilia had never seen.

"I'm going to kill Rasire," he answered matter-of-factly, and just as he was crossing through the door, something stopped him.

Ashei took such a deep, sudden breath that Shad thought she might use up all of the air in the room. Her body shook and the color began to return to her skin; her heart was pumping; she was alive. Link froze in place. Turned slowly. Glanced her over.

"No..."

He pushed everyone out of his way and returned his sword to its scabbard, falling again to his knees as he took his spot at Ashei's side.

"Impossible," Rusl remarked. "She... she was dead! And she came back to life!"

"It's the Fairy Water," Shad said. "That tonic's strong enough to heal anything." He noticed suddenly that Ilia was giving him a very odd look. "...What?"

"I told you you'd make a wonderful doctor," was all she said.

Shad blinked. And then relief flooded through him and he gathered Ilia into his arms. Ashei continued to breathe beside them; a second glance at her revealed that the gash in her side had already stopped bleeding.

There were footsteps on the staircase and the soldier materialized before them. He held out his bloodied hand.

"A deal's a deal," he said. Shad blinked a few times.

"What- yes, of course-"

He handed what was left of the tonic to the soldier, and he rested his cut up hand in the pit of the bowl. In a matter of seconds, his hand had begun to heal..

"Thank you," he now said. "I'm in your debt."

Shad frowned. "Yes, you are," he said slowly.

"And that's why I'm going to pay you back with information," the soldier explained. All eyes in the room turned on him as he spoke. "Princess Zelda is having a ball next week," he began. "It is the annual Monarch's Pick Dinner, where she selects a group of people to recognize for their achievements. You all are on the guest list, of course, as well as His Grace and the rest of the soldiers. It is at this ball that the chancellor plans to make his final attack."

Rusl stepped forward. "And that is...?"

"To dethrone Princess Zelda and take Hyrule for himself," the soldier explained. "You'll recall Crevan's efforts to dislodge all of the leaders of each township. You see, that was only the beginning... it was all leading up to his grand finale."

"And you're telling us this because..."

"Because I've seen what you can do," the soldier said, looking around. His eyes fell onto Shad. "I've seen the courage that you all harbor inside of you. It's courage beyond what any of Crevan's soldiers have, even Rasire. You've got the strength to stop this man; he is corrupt and he is power-hungry. I was forced to join his ranks, and was too much of a coward to protest..." He glanced around the room. "You all have the power to stop him, and I implore you to utilize this power."

"Are you suggesting we gatecrash Princess Zelda's party?" Shad asked suddenly.

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting," the soldier answered. He took one final look around the room. His gaze stopped on Link. "You're really him," he said. "The hero of Hyrule."

Link smiled a bit, his gaze not wavering from where it had anchored on Ashei. "I'm just one of the heroes," he answered.

"You can do it again, then...?"

"I'll try."

The soldier glanced around one final time. "It was a pleasure to meet all of you... I must be on my way." He started to draw away, but on his way out of the door, he bumped right into Colin.

"Shad!" Colin cried, and Shad turned around. "Look what you left hanging about," Colin said, and Shad's jaw dropped.

"My cane!" he cried, and stopped himself from reaching out. "Wait..." He recalled the journey through the forest, across the creek, the swordfight with Rasire. How had he forgotten his cane? He'd done all of that and he hadn't even noticed his limp was gone...

Colin placed the cane off to the side and Shad grinned fiercely. "Well, then," he said, a new burst of confidence rushing through him. "Well, then, I suppose I'm quite healed after all..." He took Ilia's arm absently. "Let's go get a drink," he suggested.

Ilia frowned. "Right now?"

"Yes," Shad answered. "You almost got married and Ashei almost died and we're going to storm a castle in less than a week... I think now's a perfect time, don't you?"

Ilia was slightly baffled by Shad's abrupt change in attitude. But then she thought about it further. Shad _had _saved the day. She gave a small smile.

"A drink it is."

They sauntered out of the room and Rusl wrapped an arm around Colin's shoulders, following closely behind. They descended the staircase and Link found himself all alone, except, of course, for Ashei.

He pulled the chair back to her side and sat down. Her eyes were still shut; she must have been sleeping, then. He reached out absently and stroked the hair from her face. It was an intimate action; he was glad to be alone with her, even if she couldn't tell. He continued to stroke the hair from where it had been plastered to her forehead, and a small smile appeared on his features.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," he said quietly, even though he knew she couldn't hear. "And I'm sorry that you got hurt. But you know that," he added. He paused and rested his hand on the side of her head. "You know," he said, "I've learned something very important. I've learned that as long as I'm around, the rest of you are all at risk. I've learned that I'm a target. And as long as I'm here, they're going to _use _you. They're going to use you to get to me. The same way they've used Ilia, the same way they've used Colin. And now you. As long as I'm around, I'll always have enemies."

He paused and pulled his hand away, examining her face, which was relaxed as it slowly became pinker and more lifelike. Gods, Shad was a real hero. He would never be able to repay him for this.

He took her hand one last time. "I've realized something else, Ashei. I've realized that if I want to keep you safe, then I can't stick around. I'm..." his breath hitched in his throat and he closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were stinging with tears again. _Stop crying_, he wanted to say. _Stop it_.

"I'm going to have to die, Ashei," he said quietly. "Maybe not now, but soon. I don't know what it's going to consist of. I know it's not really fair of me to do that, but it's going to have to happen. And when it does, I hope you'll... I hope you'll understand."

He was quiet for a long time after that, staring at her, drinking her in. It was rare that she was peaceful, and sleep was what caused one of those rare bouts of peace. He didn't know when he'd gotten to thinking she was beautiful; he'd always found her to be relatively attractive, but he'd also found Zelda attractive, and he'd found Ilia attractive, and he'd found Hena attractive, and sweet mother Farore had he found Midna attractive.

But beautiful; no, this was the first time he'd ever looked at someone and been absolutely overwhelmed just by the way they appeared. He'd never had the chance to find Midna beautiful; he'd only seen her true form for a few days before she made her departure. He'd never gotten to know how someone looked so well that the way they looked became the way they were. He'd never known anyone in the way that he knew Ashei, had never understood anyone in the way he understood her. There was no one in the world that matched her, and he realized with a shock that Midna had finally taken second seat to someone.

Yes; when Link looked at the big picture, when he saw everything and everyone and when it was all thrown at him at once, when everything was confusing, when the world just kept spinning and spinning and _spinning _and nothing made sense, _she _made sense. She made sense because she had been there through all the good times, all the bad times. She had defined this post-war Link because she'd been the rock he stood on. When no one else had been there, _she _had been there in a way that blotted out all the bad things.

Their hands latched together and suddenly he was smiling. It was like a ray of light had broken through the clouds, and he felt more confident than ever. The sword at his hip felt comfortable; natural. It was like an extension of himself. How had he ever gone without it?

A week from now they would be storming a ballroom and everything would be chaos and Zelda's throne would be held ransom. Hell would be raised and Link _knew _hell would be raised and he felt very happy about all of it. He'd gone far too long without purpose; could it be that he had spent this long being afraid of war not because he feared the guilt of it, but missed the thrill of it? He'd spent too long wasting away with no purpose, had spent too long with nothing to fight for. And now he _had _something to fight for, and he remembered again why he'd spent all of those nights out in Hyrule proper fighting and fighting and _fighting. _It was because he'd had a reason. A very important reason. And that reason had been his friends.

It hadn't changed.

It had been almost an hour before anything happened. He drew out of his trance as Ashei stirred just the slightest bit. He stared intently at her face, eyes full of hope.

Her lashes parted and the eyes drifted open, deep and brown and murky and tired. Link's breath caught in his throat as he felt her hand tighten around his own.

"...Hi," she finally said, her voice quiet and sleepy. It took Link a moment to find the words; they were lost to him. And then he found them.

"Hi," he said breathlessly.

**This chapter contained a lot of made up science. I kind of suck at science, but I wanted a chapter that focused on Shad's strong point, and that happens to be knowledge.**

**Next chapter: The group gathers together at Telma's Bar to plan a castle siege. It's about time, too.**

**My thoughts and prayers go out to those in Boston.**


	21. Chapter 21

**[Throws the computer and runs]**

Louise purred and stretched out her front legs, her back arching comfortably as she let out a long, much needed yawn. Telma's inn was impossibly quiet this morning and she took the opportunity to curl up on the bar's surface, reveling in the cool, smooth wood against the pillow of her fur. She yawned again and nestled her face into her paws. Finally. Some peace and quiet.

The entire bar shook as the door was suddenly thrown open. Louise jumped up, alert, and then hissed as a crowd entered. _So much for a little relaxation._

She glared at the door, and realized suddenly that she recognized the newcomers. The first to enter was the orange one with the glasses. Oh, she hated him.

And following him was the soft one, the small one. The sweet one with the little curl in her short hair. Louise _loved _her.

And then came that loud, boisterous one. The one with the shock of black hair who frowned a lot and yelled at people. Louise couldn't _stand _that girl.

Close behind was the tall, fatherly one. The one with the deep-set eyes and the dark mustache framing the wide mouth. Louise loved him. He was always so kind to everybody.

Next came the other tall one, the old, wise one, with the gray hair framing his old, withered face. Louise had no opinion on him.

And finally, last to enter, was the fair-haired, handsome one garbed in green. Louise pitied him. He was the sad one, the sad one that had smiled a lot to fool the others. The humans had fallen for it; humans always fell for what was on the surface. But Louise had known better. She was a cat, and cats could tell when a human was bluffing.

"Yoo-hooo!" called the sweet, soft girl in a sing-song voice. "Telma, are you here?"

Bottles rattled on the shelves as a door slammed upstairs and Louise's favorite, Telma (that was the only name she cared about) came thundering down the stairs. She materialized at the other end of the bar, stared wide-eyed for a moment, and then hurried across the clearing, taking everybody into her arms at once.

"Shad, honey! Ashei, honey! Ilia, honey! Link, honey! Rusl, Auru, honeys!" The crowd smiled weakly as Telma squeezed and kissed them one by one. "Oh, how I've missed the lot of you! All together again, I see! Come, come, sit down and tell me about your trip!"

The gang followed Telma into the back room, and Louise watched them go until Telma drew the curtain behind them, closing off the back room completely.

The seven found wooden chairs and stools and dragged them around the thick wooden table. Sitting down, they leaned against the tabletop, and all began speaking at once.

"It's come to my attention-"

"-Need to talk now-"

"-Thinking of a plan-"

"-Only so much time-"

"Stop! Stop it, quiet, all of you!" Telma interrupted, frowning at the seriousness of the group. Once silence had fallen, she spoke very quietly. "Now, tell me what's going on."

"It's Crevan," said Link immediately, and Telma bit her lip.

"I should have known," she said, her chin falling into her palm thoughtfully. "Tell me what you've learned," she commanded urgently.

"You must have heard that Princess Zelda's having a ball next week," Rusl began.

Telma hesitated. "Yes. I've heard."

"There's a... well, a plot. Against her, I mean," Rusl began. Telma was pensive.

"I see... but how're you sure?"

"One of Crevan's soldiers told us," Shad admitted.

Telma shook her head. "Didn't you ever stop to think that-"

"That he might be setting us up?" Link interrupted. When Telma didn't answer, Link continued, "Yeah, I've been thinking of that the whole trip here. But you know what? I don't care if he's setting us up. Whether or not Crevan plans to strike doesn't matter to me. _I _want to strike. I want Crevan off of that throne as soon as possible. For Zelda's sake," he added.

Telma's face had clouded over during Link's speech. One he had finished, she turned to the rest of the group. "Do you all have the same... ambitions?"

Ashei spoke up. "I do," she said, firmly placing a hand on Link's shoulder. For a second, there was silence, and then the group murmured in agreement. Telma wondered what she had missed in Ordon.

"Well, then," she said, "I guess it's going to be just like the old days. I hope you're all prepared for whatever this might entail."

She realized, as she watched their expressions, that they'd never been more prepared in their lives. The teenagers from two months ago were long gone. These weren't kids anymore- they were men and women, fully grown and matured, very much different than they had been during those early months in the bar.

And yet, she thought to herself, very much the same.

The meeting was cut short as the curtain parted and Mildred bolted into the room.

"MASTER LINK!" she cried. "YOU HAVE RETURNED!" She bowed so low that her nose rubbed against the paneled floor, and when she stood up her face fell suddenly, and she said solemnly, "Master Link, your _eyes_," which didn't make much sense to anybody.

Unsure of how to reply, Link just gave the same halfhearted smile that one would give to an animal or a young child.

"Yes, I'm here," he said awkwardly.

"Shall I fetch the group something to eat? Your journey must have-"

"No, Mildred," Link said quickly. "You can't help us with anything." Mildred's expression was hurt. After a minute, she turned and dragged her heels as she ventured off silently.

Telma eyed him sternly. "Now, shame on you! The poor girl's been waiting _weeks _for you to come home. Have mercy on the poor thing!"

"I _did _have mercy on her!" Link cried. "That's why I got stuck with her in the first place!"

There was a small wail from behind the curtain, and Ilia gasped slightly.

"Go apologize!" the girl demanded.

"What- no!"

"Go apologize!" Ashei now stressed. Link squeaked slightly.

"Yes, okay- going!" He stood up and disappeared through the flap in the curtain cutting off the back room from the rest of the bar.

Telma gave the group an odd look. "He seems different."

"He's been better," Ashei said quickly.

A muffled cry of, "Mildred, wait!" came through the curtains, and then Link's footsteps peeled off as he followed the bulbin upstairs.

Telma raised her eyebrows. "Is that so?"

"He's totally focused on this mission," Shad cut in. "He hasn't talked about anything else. Gosh, I don't think he's _thought _of anything else."

"Doubt that," Ashei countered sarcastically.

"And that means?" Shad pressed.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"What-"

"It means shut your ginger mouth, that's what it means!"

"Well, _pardon me-"_

"Pardon _you-_"

"Enough, enough," said Telma, fighting back a smile. It was nice to know that at least Ashei and Shad hadn't changed all that much. "Now, Ashei, honey, if you could kindly explain..."

"Link was alright, then he got worse, then he got better, then he got _way _worse, then he got _waaaaay _worse, and then he killed some people and got slightly better, yeah?"

Although the tone suggested humor, there was none to be found in the statement, and Ashei's expression was solemn in spite of her blunt recollection.

"Killed some people?" Telma repeated quietly.

"There were soldiers occupying Ordon," Rusl explained. Ilia hung her head and Rusl placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "They dealt quite a bit of damage to our town and townspeople."

"A lot went down in Ordon," Ashei said quickly. "It would take too long to explain."

Telma shot a glance at Auru, who was similarly confused, and then cleared her throat. "It sounds like you're planning a counterattack on the chancellor," she said, reverting to the original conversation. "Is that right?"

"Yes, that's correct," Rusl said, and turned to Auru. "Now you see why we're going to need your help."

Auru bowed his head and cleared his throat. Then he peered up, clear, pale eyes sharp with the wisdom of his age. "I knew from the very beginning that this day would come. The roots of the situation trace back to the time shortly after Link's victory. Princess Zelda had recently regained her throne, but her rule was unstable at best. She was... unsure of herself. She didn't admit it, but I could sense that her grasp was, well, tentative. Experimental. She often sought comfort in strange places..."

Ashei spoke up. "I keep hearing that the princess has been acting inappropriately-"

Shad cleared his throat loudly and Ashei quieted down. Auru regarded her statement nonetheless.

"There have been... well, rumors, yes. But they do not tie back to her politically, and it would be therefore unnecessary to bring them to light. Although," Auru added, "you must understand that Princess Zelda is human, too, and we must remember this in our analysis of her. Zelda is my distant cousin, and she has wisdom far beyond her years, but she is uncertain in her execution of it. While Her Highness may have a stiff outer shell, she has been at war with herself for months, now. Her solicitude toward her position is her weakness; the council could sense it right away, so they suggested a chancellor be put in place to share Zelda's power. Crevan had had his sights set on Hyrule for months at that point, and it was his perfect chance to strike. The council fell for his oily ways, but he was headstrong; he had power where Zelda found her weakness, and quickly took full control of Hyrule. The princess remains but a mere figurehead," Auru finally lamented, slumping forward slightly and taking his old, withered face into his hands. He stretched out the skin near his eyes and appeared incredibly old and tired in that moment. The others pretended not to notice.

"But if Princess Zelda is powerless, why would Crevan even bother to dethrone her?" Shad cut in. "After all, isn't the princess the perfect tool? If he forced the princess to give orders, then nobody would protest. Princess Zelda is a favorite- everybody loves her."

"You're right, Shad, and as a matter of fact, he's been using that tactic for awhile now. Zelda is all but Crevan's puppet; she sits on the throne day after day because Crevan has ordered her to. The people would never go to Crevan for support. Zelda is warm and noble in spirit, but alas; in spirit and disposition, the princess is nothing more than Crevan's slave."

"What?"

The entire company quieted and turned their heads. Link had reappeared, the curtain slightly parted on either side of him, one hand suspending the fabric gently in the air, the other hanging limply at his side. His eyes were wide and earnest, but wrought with bewilderment, and his shoulders had gone tense. He repeated, quietly as he had done before, "What did you say about the princess?"

Auru gave a long sigh. "Take a seat, Master Link."

Link hovered across the room and sat gingerly beside Ashei, whose hand returned immediately to its spot on his shoulder. Link reached up to clasp it absentmindedly.

"The princess has no power anymore. The last of her power vanished when Crevan dismissed her entire army. The only power she has left is the power of the mind; Hyrulians are entranced by her. Her beauty and kindness compel them, which is the reason Crevan has allowed her to remain princess for this long. But she is just weak enough in spirit to have fallen victim to his chancellor, by removing all of the town leaders and replacing Zelda's army with his own, has secured his power fully. He no longer needs her; she will be the last to go."

Link's hands clenched into fists. "I guess we'll just have to show him what we've got, then, because if he lays even a _finger _on Zelda, he'll have me to answer to."

He was different, Telma realized, _far _different than he had been months ago. Something had changed him. But _what?_

Auru cleared his throat, and said gruffly, "We haven't got much time to plan if we plan on striking at next week's ball."

"We don't need much time," Link answered. "We just need people who will comply. People who love Zelda and will fight for her."

"That would require a lot of talking," Shad mused.

"I'm good at that, yeah?" Ashei cut in. There was a pause, and then, "What? I am!"

"But who would listen to us?" Shad argued. "The chancellor's in charge of everything at this point, Auru said it himself. He's got control over the press; how do we know that people aren't devoted to him already?"

"We would need a group that suffered at his hands," Rusl explained, gazing thoughtfully at the group before him. "A group of people that lost something significant... that would fight to have it back."

"But who fits _that _description?" countered an aggravated Shad.

Ilia glanced up suddenly. "The knights."

Faces lit up as Ilia's suggestion became clear in each mind.

"That's right," Auru said, "The princess' entire army was dismissed a mere few weeks ago... they know the castle in and out. An alliance with them would be supreme."

"I don't know," Link said, catching Telma's eye. "I mean, we've seen their true nature. There's not much to them."

"All they need is a little kick in the pants," Ashei said quickly. "After all, they've got nothing left for them, yeah? Sure, they've suffered a pretty big blow to their morale, but there's got to be something left to them. There's _got _to be. And I'll extract it from them if it takes all day. I swear, Link, I'll do it. Don't you worry about a thing."

Ashei didn't know whether she was addressing the group as a whole or just Link. She'd been noticing a strange feeling in her gut in the past 24 hours, and she couldn't quite figure out what it was. She knew that it had something to do with Link because she squirmed when he came to mind, but every time the feeling shot through her she would lock the hero out of her thoughts until it went away. But there it was again, and just like that the feeling of Link's arms locked around her dying body as he carried her away from the battlefield danced over her skin, and she trembled at the thought.

"The idea of rallying all of those soldiers under one banner seems too good to be true, but if you insist that you can do it, Ashei..." Telma pondered, and then stopped short. "Never mind, honey. I know you've got it in you."

"And as for the rest of us?" Shad asked.

"Well, think about it," Ilia said, whose eyes had lit up as an idea struck her. "We're not all fighters. Gods know I'm not, and neither are you, Shad." (Shad blushed.) "But still," she added, "we've each got our own strengths. We should use them... do what we can to help out, right?"

"Right," said Telma with a smile.

Another moment passed, and then Link stood up suddenly, stepping off to the side.

"Does that conclude our agenda?" asked Telma, but Link just shook his head.

"No way," he answered. "The agenda has only just begun."

…

And begin it did, and it went full-throttle from that point onward. Ashei was the first to perform, and she rocketed so rapidly and brilliantly into action that even the mere idea of consultation was put behind her. She spoke to no one, requested nothing; as for advice, she restrained from it, and relied only on herself to do what she needed to get done. It was strange for the world to see her make such a transition into solitude, and yet solitude was something that had defined her for much of her life.

As a young woman, Ashei had spent a lot of time working alone. After the falling-out with her father, she'd entertained the idea that if she worked for no one, then no one would be disappointed in her. But there was still a sense of pain that lingered in the pit of her stomach. Those days had been awfully lonely. She'd wandered from city to city, and in her teenage years had joined various groups, even cults, in an attempt to find a home. She'd sold weapons on the black market, had smuggled drugs from the apothecary, and had even hired herself out as an assassin once or twice. She'd left her home at thirteen; five years had passed before she'd found a home with Telma. And now, pushing twenty- or maybe she _was _twenty at this point- Ashei was firm in her position in life. She'd wandered alone for too long, had spent too much time trying to find people who were like her. And then she'd found the people who were more unlike her than anyone else in the world, and they had become her home. Undoubtedly and wholly, she belonged to them.

But those years... they were behind her. She'd pushed the memories of the last decade so far into the back of her mind that even now, as she crossed the town square, they seemed foggy. The solitary and moody girl of her youth was long gone. Far in the past was the angst that had shaped her. Now she was purpose, now she was strength, now she was unity.

It was pouring rain that day. Typical, but still. Did it _have _to?

There was a passage off of the town square that led to a darker, more cramped end of town. Here the houses were shabbier, the people dirtier. Here lay the hoards of dismissed soldiers- soldiers who had sacrificed everything during the dark days, soldiers with war-drawn faces, soldiers who had done time in hell, and now, having returned to the world of the living, had been cast to the side to watch it fall back into shambles. Ashei knew that some soldiers were valiant and others weren't. She knew that cowardice had claimed those whom death had not, and yet there was still a spark- however small- that gave her faith. Faith that, maybe, there was still a chance of rallying them into action.

Most were in their homes to avoid the rain, but some stood out under overhangs, watching it cascade down off of the roofs and into puddles near their feet. Ashei grimaced as the rain caused the hair to stick to her forehead, and even as she sloshed through the cold, dark alleyway, thunder booming, rain crashing, even _then_, she stood her ground. She found a box- a nice, decently-sized box; wooden, and dark- and slid it out into the middle of the street. A few torches were burning bright on either side of her, and in the fading light she was no more than a silhouette against them. But still she stood, and shouted, shouted so the whole street could here:

"GET OUT HERE, YEAH?"

For seconds, there was nothing. The rain continued to pour and the torches continued to flicker, and Ashei stood ramrod straight in the pouring rain. And then there was something.

Shutters opened and men peered out. Dark, whiskered men with bottles in their hands. Ashei was reminded of Link; a lump formed in her throat, but she suppressed it. The men peered at her, and she glared back, the firelight reflected in her eyes.

"I said get out here!" she repeated. "If you've got any heart in you, get out here! This is about Hyrule; the welfare of Hyrule, if you've got any heart in you, get out here, yeah?!"

Rain poured on that still, frozen street. Nothing.

"GET OUT HERE!"

And again, something. Movement. Shuffling as shutters closed and doors opened and tall, dark men moved silently out into the streets. Cold rain washed over their quiet, suppressed forms as they pushed forward.

"Haven't any of you got something to say?" Ashei now pressed. "You were all soldiers once; you were all _Zelda's _soldiers. If Crevan hadn't dismissed you, you know where you'd all be?! You'd be guarding castle walls, or pacing castle corridors. You'd be standing outside the princess' study to keep out pests. But here you are, wronged, with nothing else to do."

Silence.

"Didn't you FIGHT?!" she cried. "Didn't you give time and shed blood? When the twilight hit, didn't you disagree? When Ganondorf took over, didn't you try to dethrone him? And now, when another intruder takes over castle walls, you're just going to sit here? Sounds pretty depressing, yeah?"

One ex-soldier broke free of the throng. "Hold your tongue, woman!"

"Hold _my _tongue?!" Ashei cried. "Fine, then. Wallow here! But you all know that the chancellor's got something up his sleeve. He's taken over the throne; he's _going _to dethrone the princess!"

"Who are you?" a soldier cried. "What would you know about any of this?!"

"My name is Ashei of Snowpeak, and I've heard it from one of Crevan's troops myself."

"Have you, now?" he argued.

"I have! I know what's going to happen!" The soldiers shook their heads and began to depart. "Please!" Ashei cried as the crowd dispersed. "Listen to me!"

But there was nothing.

"HEY!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "JUST BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'LL BE SILENCED!"

And then again, something.

They turned. Slowly at first, and then all the way. And they looked at her, eyes almost alight, but still dull. _Almost there_, she thought.

"On the night of Zelda's ball, Chancellor Crevan's troops are going to strike!" she called. "Zelda's going to be dethroned; she's going to be thrown out into the streets like the rest of you! And then a usurper will be on the throne, and the town will fall apart! We need to stop him!"

The group mumbled collectively, and then a gruff, dark-shouldered man shouted out, "HAVEN'T YOU GOT ANY SENSE?!"

Ashei snarled. "Come again?"

"Have you ever _met _Crevan?!" he now cried, and Ashei fell silent.

"Well-"

"He's not just another bad guy!" the man cried, and the crowd murmured in agreement. The man stepped forward. "He's not like Zant, not like Ganondorf. He doesn't just waltz in and take over by force. That's not his style!"

Ashei narrowed her eyes. "What does _that _mean?"

"It means he's got a head on his shoulders! He's twisted, though; twisted like a snake. He plays with your mind, scares you into doing things that'd never cross your mind. I've seen him talk men into hurting themselves and smiling through it!"

"I've seen him whisper things that have made men and women cry!" another man cut in.

"And he's put Princess Zelda under his spell; she's terrified of him! And not terrified of his forces; terrified of _him. _He only needs to go _near _her, and suddenly she's weak in the knees!"

Ashei took a deep breath. "I'm sure you're all exaggerating-"

"_Exaggerating_?!" a man cried. "You think we're exaggerating?! You've never _met _Crevan, that's why you're not scared!"

"Maybe it's because I'm not a coward!"

"I wasn't a coward until I met _him," _someone said calmly, and a cloaked man stepped forward. He was elderly, with a long, gray beard and cold, disheartened eyes. "I thought I could brave anything, so I confronted him. I told him I didn't trust him, and then he started... talking."

Ashei was quiet. "Talking?"

"Oh, he talked. It was like hypnosis, except... it wasn't. And he talked and talked, and I followed along, and his voice was smooth... oily. I was entranced. And he talked me into giving myself _this." _The old man's cloak fell to the wet pavement and he revealed a deep, twisted scar across his withered chest. Ashei's instincts forced her to recoil at the sight, and yet she fought them. _Don't act frightened now. _

"How...?"

"I tried to _kill _myself, Miss Ashei. All from a little talking."

Ashei pressed her lips together. "Very well," she said, which was untrue, as this was very _unwell_, and Ashei's confidence was sinking by the second. "I see. However-" her voice cracked as she spoke- "however, we can't lose hope now! If he's as awful as you all say, then all the more reason to get rid of him, yeah?!" The noise in the crowd increased as they began to agree.

"I suppose you're right," they all said one by one.

"I am right! Listen, we've only got so much time before Crevan strikes and everything's over. But if we can catch him at the right moment, then there's hope! You all risked your lives during the dark days for Hyrule! What makes this time any different? Crevan is just as dangerous as Ganondorf, just as terrifying, just as powerful- why cower away now?!" Her voice quieted. "A group of freedom fighters and I plan to strike whether you're with us or not. But you're the ones with the armor, the weapons, and the knowledge about the castle. We _need _you. You were all Princess Zelda's soldiers once, and you still are, yeah?!"

"Yeah!" they cried.

"Great!" Now, a hush fell over her voice. "There's a planning meeting at Telma's bar tonight. _Tell no one,_ except for those you can trust to help us. This is a cause- a _real _cause- and I know we've got the means to do this. You have to trust me. You _have _to _trust _me."

And, assuredly, they did.

…

"I just don't see why they have to come over _tonight,_" Shad complained, dragging a stick of charcoal across thick, stiff parchment. "I mean, _really_. She could have at least _warned _us, but _no, _she had to do it _all _by- shit." He grimaced as the charcoal slipped and left a foul mark. "For Nayru's sake," he muttered, grabbing a piece of rubber and smudging the stray mark instead of erasing it. "What- gods- _dammit!" _Having given up, he threw the charcoal on the ground and crossed his arms with a pout.

Auru, who had been leaning on the wooden table next to Shad, chuckled. "Next time, mate."

Footsteps descended the staircase, and Ilia's form materialized in the doorway. She shuffled over next to Shad and sat right on the table, leaning flirtatiously into his line of vision. "What're _you _boys up to?"

"D-drawing d-d-diagrams," Shad said, blushing very, _very _furiously. Did she have to sit like _that?!_

"Of what?"

"Of the castle," Auru grunted with a roll of the eyes. "No offense, girl, but you should leave. Shad's brain is practically melting, and we _need _that brain."

Ilia smirked. "All right, then, but give me a moment. I haven't seen him in almost half an hour." She twirled a finger around Shad's floppy bow tie. "I _miss _him."

Shad's blush deepened. "I- I think that-"

"All right, all right," Auru groaned. "Enough with the games, you two. We have work to do."

Ilia sighed dramatically. "_Fine_," she mumbled, and slid back onto the soles of her sandals. She stopped and blew a kiss before turning the corner with a giggle.

"What's gotten into _her?" _Auru mumbled.

"I haven't the foggiest," Shad answered. The scholar pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I need a nap," he muttered, and returned to his castle diagram. "Now... Where were we?"

"We were discussing the outer passage connecting the second story and the third-story hall."

"Ah," Shad answered with a grunt, replacing his glasses. "That's right."

Auru gave him a strange look. "Good gods, you're _exhausted. _What happened?"

"Well," Shad answered weakly, "since we returned here yesterday morning, I'm Link's roommate again."

"And that is a bad thing?"

"He talks to himself," Shad answered bluntly.

"I'm not _that _bad." Link had appeared at the bottom of the staircase.

"Speak of the devil..." Shad muttered.

"Ah, Master Link," greeted Auru. "Perhaps you can be of some help. Are you familiar with the outer passage connecting the second-story corridor and the third-story hall?"

Link's face darkened for a split second. The look vanished after only moments. "Of course I am," he answered. "I've combed the entire building."

"Spectacular! Now, come and take a look at Shad's mediocre map."

"Hey!"

"I see what you mean," said Link with a grimace.

"What- I'd like to see you do better-"

"Give that to me," Link said gruffly, snatching the charcoal from Shad's grasp.

"Link!" the scholar cried.

"Shad!" the hero mocked, and turned immediately to the overhead diagram of the castle. "First of all," he said calmly, "you've got the two hallways switched around. They're on the wrong side. _This _hallway should stretch into the _eastern _wing."

Shad rolled his eyes. "Know-it-all."

"You'll have soldiers meeting at the wrong place if you don't know what you're doing, Shad. It's crucial that we all understand the layout. ...Where's Ashei? She should hear this."

"Upstairs, probably polishing those antlers," Shad grumbled.

"Eh," said Link. "Hold on. I'll get her."

But instead of going upstairs, Link found a nice, heavy book, moseyed over to a very approximate spot on the carpet, and after a moment of analysis, threw the book at the ceiling as hard as he could. The resulting _BANG _shook the entire building.

"OY!" a muffled voice shouted from upstairs.

"She's on her way," Link said simply, and dragged over a chair. "Now, you'll probably want to situate soldiers by _these two _exits," he explained. "That's because the entrances in the north wing are more concealed than the ones in the south, and we don't want to be noticed right away."

"Understandable," said Auru, "though- if I may- it is important to keep in mind the location of the chancellor during this time. So far, he has hidden behind a mask of anonymity. Everyone has heard his name, but only a few of us know who he is. It will be difficult for the majority of the troops to recognize him when he eventually does show himself."

The young men at the table remained quiet.

"I see," Link finally stated.

"We won't want our army to be recognizable," Shad added. "We want anonymity, too, or at least until we strike."

"Yes, yes, of course..." Auru was agreeing. heavy footsteps rattled overhead as Ashei descended the steps two at a time.

"Here I am, what'd I miss?" she muttered, standing next to Link and leaning on her elbows against the tabletop.

Her thick, matt black hair, which she'd kept down for once, cascaded down into Link's face, and he was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that _this was her_. This was Ashei, and Ashei was warm beside him, and she smelled like rain on pavement (had she always smelled like that?!) and _this was her_. This was Ashei, the only Ashei, with the deep, murky eyes and the long lashes and the pale face, Ashei, the torch that was constantly burning, Ashei the beacon, Ashei the lighthouse that cut through the fog with a single golden beam. Something turned in his stomach; all of a sudden he felt strangely hollow, and he didn't know why.

And for the next few splendid moments, all that Link could register was a sort of heat rushing through his body and an irresistible urge to reach out and brush the long, dense lock of hair over her shoulder and away from her face. That was all he wanted. Just that, just the brush of his fingers against her cheek, and that would have been quite enough.

"..._Liiiiink... earth to Link..."_

Link blinked a couple of times. Was something happening?

"_...Dear gods... someone call a doctor, he's finally lost it... Liiiiiiiiiiiiink..."_

He snapped his eyes up to meet three inquisitive faces.

"Sorry," he said. "I was just... thinking."

"Thinking," Shad repeated blankly.

"Yeah."

A soft chuckle sounded beside him, and Link whipped his head over to see Ashei laughing to herself.

"Well, isn't that the truth," she said blatantly, which seemed to be funny to everyone but Link. And Link just didn't know why.

…

"LINK! ASHEI!" Telma shouted, pressing through an incredibly dense crowd. "WHERE ARE YOU TWO?!"

She eventually found them in a heated discussion at the back of the bar.

"Link!" Telma shouted. "Ashei, what on earth-"

"I think umbrellas are a wonderful substitute for swords!" Link was shouting. Ashei's fingers were knotted in her hair.

"That's not funny! What's gotten into you, anyway?!"

"HEY! You two!" Telma addressed. "Enough with the kidding around. There are _dozens _of soldiers in this bar and you haven't told me why!"

Ashei bit her lip. "Oops."

"_Oops? _What do you mean, _oops?!" _Telma cried. "Don't _oops _me, young lady! What on earth- oh, no, Link, don't you _dare _give me that face-"

Link's expression had contorted into one that clearly said _I-know-that-we-are-idiots-and-you-can-reprimand-us -for-it-later-but-right-now-we've-got-a-princess-t o-save-so-if-you-would-kindly-shove-off._

With a roll of the eyes, Telma turned on her heel. "Fine. But no free drinks this time. Whoever drinks, pays." And with that, she disappeared behind the bar, arms crossed.

"All right, all right, so I may have forgotten to let Telma know our plans," Ashei said. "But relax! I've got it under control. Watch. Watch me, Link, yeah?"

"Yeah, okay, Ashei," Link muttered. A moment later, they grinned at each other.

Ashei burst forward and parted the crowd, leaping up onto a circular table in the middle of the room. The crowd swarmed about her, falling silent as she shouted, "HEADS UP!"

All eyes turned on her, and Link found a place right up next to Ashei. He was surrounded by a plethora of worn, hardy ex-soldiers, all of whom had shown up at the bar due to Ashei's bidding. The door had shut behind them, and from Link's spot in the crowd, he could see Auru standing guard over the door. He craned his neck. Shad and Ilia were watching from where they were sitting beside one another on the staircase. Glancing over his shoulder, Link noticed Rusl wading through the crowd to join him.

Once they were side-by-side, Rusl said, "Now try not to get too doe-eyed during her speech."

Link frowned. "Wh-what?!" he stuttered, and Rusl cracked a grin.

"Proximity is bad for you, Link. It makes your brain go haywire."

Ashei cleared her throat again, and, glancing up at her, Link decided that Rusl was absolutely correct.

Once the bar had fallen silent, Ashei raised her voice again.

"Hey- welcome, all of you, first of all. I'm... pleased, at least, by the turnout. I didn't think- never mind. All right! First thing's first, you all know what you're doing here, yeah?"

There was a murmur from the crowd, and Ashei rolled her eyes.

"Come on! You've got to have more soul than that! Someone tell me why you're all here!"

"For the free drinks!" someone shouted from the back. Ashei turned and her face fell.

"You're not funny, Shad!" she shouted, and the scholar grinned. Ashei rolled her eyes. "There're no free drinks tonight, so if that's why you're here, you might as well get out."

A large, hairy man who had been using one of the tables as a stool stood up and began shamefully walking toward the door.

"Excuse me," he said politely in an ironically gruff voice. Having reached the door, he opened it and ducked through, hitting his head on the way out, and accidentally slamming it shut behind him. Ashei frowned at the silence.

"Whatever!" she said. "We don't need that guy, anyway."

"Well, that guy knew how to man the bazooka..." someone was saying.

"You'll be quiet!" Ashei instructed, fully aware that her second attempt to rally support wasn't going as swimmingly as she had initially hoped.

"But-"

"ANYWAY!" Ashei said loudly, "We've got work to do! We already know that Crevan's a low-life, creepy piece of shit, so I suggest we skip over that portion of the conversation and start planning, yeah? Yeah! All right, let's go..." She glanced around hopelessly. Noticing that she was eliciting no reaction whatsoever from the crowd, she narrowed her eyes. "Very well, then," she said. "Be that way." She frowned. "May I ask what the matter is?"

For a second, there was silence. Finally, somebody spoke up.

"Nobody's listening to you because you haven't got any credibility," a man stated.

Ashei bit her cheek. "_What?!" _

"You're a woman! What do _you _know about any of this?!" the same man shouted. "We've never seen you in our lives! We want to hear from the hero!"

Ashei's eyes widened and she glanced down at Link. He was wearing a similar expression.

"I, uh- I'm afraid that that's not... going to happen," Ashei stuttered. "You see, he can't-"

"Ashei."

She glanced down. Link was eyeing her with a piercing and determined gaze. "Ashei. If they want to hear me speak, then let me speak."

Her face fell. "But... but I wanted to..."

With a sigh, she slipped down from the table. Link pulled her close.

"You're a phenomenal person," he whispered, "and I would follow you to the ends of the earth. But these guys are idiots, and if it's me they want to hear, then we've got no choice. Let me speak. I can handle it; I promise."

Ashei gazed at the floor. "...Very well," she finally muttered. Link placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

"Thank you, Ashei."

He clambered up onto the table and the crowd around him cheered. Immediately, the tension in the room evaporated as the small throng of soldiers glorified him. He smiled nervously.

"Stop it, stop- settle down!" he shouted. Slowly, the room fell silent, but there were still whispers that flitted across the scene. "I'd like to speak," he continued. There was a slight sweat building up on the back of his neck, but he ignored it.

"Speak, then," someone finally said. So he spoke.

"I know that you're all... reluctant to do this. Believe me, I understand. And if you think that I'm just running into this blindly, well, you're totally wrong. I'm not doing that. Wouldn't do it in a million years. But you have to... you have to understand what it will mean if we don't do this. It will mean another dictator on the throne. Just like Zant. Just like Ganondorf. And if that wasn't hell for all of us, then I don't know what is. This man is just as corrupt, just as power-hungry, just as... well, just as evil. When I was a kid, I refused to believe that evil existed. I thought that everyone had good and bad in them. I'm a perfect example of that. But I've since learned that I was wrong. Evil is _real_. Evil _exists_. You know how I know? Because I've _felt _it, festering within me like a disease. It lurks there, like a... like a beast in a pit. And the only way to combat it is with guts."

"But you're the _hero!" _someone cried. Link smirked.

"Yup. Listen, I don't want to shock you, but the thing is... well, I'm human. Just like the rest of you. Believe it or not, I've got emotions. I've got memories. My own deeds are like scars; they'll always be there. For as long as I live, I'll remember the piece of my soul that was ripped apart with each swing of my blade. So if you think that fighting for your life and for your country is glorious, then you can leave this room right now."

There was complete silence. Nobody moved; they were captivated.

"Dear gods," a man finally spoke up. "But you're just a kid!"

"Glad you noticed," Link answered, his tone bitter. "It would have been nice for you to have noticed back during the dark days."

It was the first time that Link had ever called anyone out for their faults during the dark days. He'd spent a lot of time blaming himself for his troubles, but never until now had he directly addressed someone for what they may have done to hurt him. Never until now had he glared at a potential ally with so much contempt.

"Listen," he finally said, and his voice was low. "It doesn't matter who I am. It doesn't matter how I feel or what I think or what I went through. It matters who _you _are. It matters who you are going to be. If you're going to be a bunch of do-nothing cowards, then that's up to you. But if you're going to help, then step forward now. Because we need to make plans. We need to be ready for whatever happens. _You _need to be ready. You're the ones with wives and families to protect. Me? Well, I'm just me. Whether I make it out of this doesn't matter."

He frowned at the soft gasps that littered the crowd.

"Hey, I mean it! I don't care. I don't. I don't care if-" his voice cracked, and he gulped, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with rage. "I owe Zelda a debt beyond anything that the lot of you could ever comprehend. She is the only other person in the world that understands the true meaning of that debt. And before you ask me what it is, know one thing: I will fight for her. I will slay every last scoundrel that I have to for Princess Zelda; I am that heavily indebted. I will fight until I _die _for her and even that will not be enough. ..._Now _do you understand?"

He glanced down at Ashei, whose face was dumbstruck. He turned back to the crowd.

"If you're half the men you ought to be, then you will undertake this task! You will undertake this task for your friends, for your family, for your country, and for your monarch. Are you with me?!"

A pause.

"ARE YOU WITH ME?!"

The cheer that emanated from the crowd nearly blew the roof off of the building. Link turned slowly back to Ashei, and then reached down, pulling her up onto the table beside him.

"That was _amazing_," she whispered despite the roaring crowd. "That was... wow. I mean, Link, I am just... blown away. I didn't know you could speak like that... didn't know anyone could speak like that. How did you know-"

"I didn't," Link interrupted. "I just... did. I said what I thought... meant all of it. Hey- stop making that face- listen to me-"

But Ashei wasn't listening. She was too caught up in the moment, was too emotional- something that she often avoided. All she could sense was the noise and the warmth and the _moment_. And with a smile of disbelief, she ducked her head.

"You never cease to amaze me," she said.

…

"ASTOUNDING!" cried Shad once the meeting had concluded. When nearly sixty soldiers and a group of rowdy freedom-fighters were all crammed into one bar planning a military coup-d'etat, the atmosphere was, needless to say, difficult to keep up with.

The planning of the siege itself had taken a long time to get across- meet here, march there, weapons and armor are available down the hall- but it had worked. It had really worked, and now they had an actual army at their disposal- one that understood the workings of the military and, more importantly, understood the layout of the castle itself. Diagrams had been hung up all around the room, and now, as the group was running on enough coffee to fill a bathtub, the only thing that mattered was winning.

"This will require massive preparation," Rusl lamented that morning.

And he was right.

He and Ashei worked tirelessly to gather all of the weapons and armor that they could. Auru spent the next few days spying inside the castle, paying attention to every detail that went into planning the ball. Shad and Link continued sketching diagrams and illustrating plans of action that would later be executed.

Telma and Ilia worked together on health preparations. Satchels of medicines, concealed weapons, and extra food were stored in old flour sacks to distribute among the soldiers. While they were behind the bar stuffing sacks one evening, Ilia consulted Telma.

"Telma..." she began.

"Yes, honey?"

"You... you must understand that I'm, well..." she glanced over. "That I'm battling a bit of... self depreciation."

Telma glanced over, her face falling. "What?"

Ilia sighed, her shoulders slanting downward as she spoke. "Link, Ashei, and Rusl are all preparing to march into 's got his own plan of action to strike from the inside. Auru's overseeing the whole thing, even if he's a little old. And I'm here... stuffing sacks."

Telma's brow furrowed. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"I want to go with them!" she said quickly. Telma shook her head almost immediately.

"Stay here," she instructed. "You haven't got a clue how to fight, honey, and I won't risk you. Not ever. You're too precious."

Ilia's face darkened. "But that's not who I want to be!" she cried, and looked away. "Even _Shad _is going in, and he can't even pick up a sword!"

"Yes, but Shad has been in a resistance group for almost two years, now. He knows how these things work. You're a farm girl... _you _do not."

Tears brimmed on Ilia's lashes. "If you say so..."

"Let her go."

The voice came weakly from the other side. It was getting late, now, and Telma could tell that the newcomer was tired. Zelda's ball was occurring the next night; they would need to be well-rested.

"No, Rusl," Telma instructed. "I stand firm on this subject."

But Rusl shook his head. "I've known Ilia since she was a little girl, and I know what she's capable of. Let her go with Shad. She won't have to fight that way."

Ilia glanced over hopefully. "Rusl, you'd really let me go?"

"Of course," he answered, and walked over to face her. Noticing that her head was bowed, he put his fingers under her chin and tilted her soft, feminine face upwards. He noticed that her eyes were pink with tears.

"Rusl! Shame on you!" Telma argued. "The poor girl is risking injury! She wasn't built to fight!"

Rusl turned to face Telma. "Telma, of all people, you're the last person in Hyrule I'd expect to doubt her. llia is brave and strong of heart; don't tell me you disagree."

Telma pressed her lips together. "Of course I don't disagree. She has more courage in her than in all of the Hylian soldiers combined... I've said it many times, and..." she turned to face Ilia. "Oh, my. I didn't notice how you've grown in the past year. I suppose I just kept putting it off because I didn't want to face it, but... you're not a girl anymore, are you, Ilia? No, not at all." She rested her hands on either of Ilia's shoulders. "You... you are a woman, fully grown. You're all men and women. And it's not up to me, nor is it up to Rusl, what you choose to do."

Ilia bit her lip and smiled. "Thank you, Telma. Thank you for believing in me."

When she ascended the staircase that morning, her stomach was turning with worry. The mere notion of rushing into a battlefield was unnerving, to be sure, but at the same time, she wouldn't sit at home while her friends rushed into war. And it _would _be a war; there would be fighting and bloodshed. Link had said it himself. A ballroom battlefield. It seemed like something out of a fantasy, but at the same time, Ilia reminded herself, this _wasn't _a fantasy.

If this were a fantasy, then Link would be the valiant hero who was proud of his deeds, and he would have wed Zelda long ago. In a fantasy, Ashei would be the woman to masculine to ever be loved. In a fantasy, Shad would be the wise wizard, and Ilia the forest nymph. In a fantasy, good would prevail and evil would be conquered. In a fantasy, there would be no inner evils. In a fantasy, everything would be black and white. Good. Evil. There would be no in-between.

When she reached the top of the staircase, she stalled. She could see Shad's silhouette at the end of the hall. She took a deep breath and moseyed over in his direction.

"Hey, you."

Shad glanced up and the hint of a smile crossed his features. _He really is handsome when he smiles_, Ilia thought.

"Ilia," he greeted stiffly.

"Something the matter?"

Shad rolled his eyes. "Ashei's in my room. She and Link are having a heart-to-heart. Something tells me she's not coming out till morning." He glanced at her. "You look pale."

"I'm-" she halted. "I'm frightened," she admitted.

"Frightened? But you're not-" Shad stopped short at the expression on Ilia's countenance, and his face fell. "No... Ilia, please tell me you're not..."

"I am, and you can't stop me," she said stiffly.

"No! Ilia, I won't allow it, I won't allow you to get hurt!"

"I don't care!" she argued. "I don't care what you say. I told you once that everyone's in charge of their own fate, and I'm not letting anyone else take control of mine!" She exhaled heavily. "I am not the person I was when I met you, Shad. I am not that girl. Two months ago, I was carefree and full of smiles. But Shad, I _see _now. I _understand_. Shad." She reached forward and grabbed his hands. "_Listen _to me, Shad."

He was shaking his head. "Please don't do this, Ilia," he insisted. "Please don't go and get yourself killed tomorrow. I won't be able to handle it. Ilia, if you got hurt, I don't know what I'd do. I don't know how I'd live. I'd rather die, Ilia, than lose you, I'd rather _die_..."

Now _he _was crying, and he stumbled forward into Ilia's arms when she opened them.

"You and I have been through everything together," she whispered into his neck, inhaling that funny scent of leather and books that she loved so much. "I won't die tomorrow, and neither will you. Cross my heart. Now come and lay with me. I don't want to be alone tonight."

And so they returned to Ilia's room, where they crawled under the covers of Ilia's bed without even bothering to change. All Shad did was shed his jacket and then he stretched out his skinny arms to encase the girl he loved. She snuggled into him, and there in the dark, there in the quiet, everything was alright. There was no tomorrow. There was no yesterday, either. It was only them; somewhere along the line they'd become a unit, and in her heart, Ilia couldn't imagine the rest of her life if Shad wasn't there.

Not now.

Not ever.

…

The shower nozzle turned and suddenly hot water was streaming down onto the tile, the excess dripping down the drain. Link pulled back the curtain and stepped underneath the scalding hot water, letting his entire body relax as he inhaled the steam. He closed his eyes and let the water run over his face, through his hair, down his neck, his shoulder blades, his back, his waist, his thighs, his calves his heels, and down the drain. He let the water run, and his thoughts ran with it; it had been too long since he'd bathed in something besides a river.

When he exited the shower, he dried his skin, his thoughts loud as they echoed against the _drip, drip, drip _of what remained on the nozzle. He blew out the candle lighting the incense and, once he had dressed into a cotton shirt and pants to sleep in, exited the bathroom.

To his surprise, Ashei was sitting on the end of his bed. Shad was nowhere in sight. With a sigh, Link crossed the room and sat by her side, the springs of the mattress groaning underneath his weight.

Ashei glanced at the floor. "I guess this is it, yeah?" she mumbled.

"Guess so," he answered.

She was quiet. "Are you ready?"

He shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be. You?"

"I'm always ready," she answered with a small smile. With a sigh, she threw her weight back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Link?"

"Mhm?" he said, laying down next to her.

"I've been thinking."

"I knew you had it in you," he deadpanned, earning him a swat on the shoulder.

"Listen, Link, I've been thinking. When this is over with, I want to go somewhere. Just you and me. To the mountains, maybe. Somewhere we've never been. It will be an adventure."

Link smiled to himself. "I haven't had one of those in a long time," he admitted.

She hesitated. "Really?" she asked. "You don't think these past few months have been an adventure?"

Link turned to her. "Depends what kind of adventure you're talking about..."

And it had been an adventure- an adventure of discovery, if that meant anything. And there she was, her face inches from his, looking so tired and strong and pretty in the candlelight... again, he had that urge to brush the hair from her face...

She sat up suddenly, brushing herself off and getting to her feet. Link felt a disappointment rush through him beyond anything he'd ever felt.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Yes."

"You don't want to stay with me?" he continued, pouting. She turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"What? You want to _spoon_ with me?"

He sat up and shrugged. "Maybe."

She rolled her eyes. "You're too much." She turned on her heel and began to pace away. "See you tomorrow, Link."

"Fine, fine," he said. "Your loss." He plopped back down on the mattress and closed his eyes, facing away from her.

He jumped as he felt two arms slide around his torso.

"And look who's come crawling back," he joked.

"Shut your mouth, yeah? I've changed my mind."

"Yeah, all right. I _suppose _I can tolerate it." He could feel Ashei nuzzling her head into his back as he blew out the candle and they were encased in darkness.

"Link?" Her voice was impossibly quiet.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever considered that maybe... I don't know, maybe it would be better if Crevan ruled? I mean, all those things Auru said about Zelda. About her being insecure, about her being unsure of her rule. It sounds like we can't really trust her."

Link sighed. "We can trust her to try. Besides, you've seen what Rasire did under Crevan's orders. You saw how he treated Colin, and how his men treated Ilia... How they treated _you_. Like you were dirt, like you were nothing, because you're a woman... what total bastards."

"But _Zelda_."

"Zelda is a great woman. Trust me on that."

"You'll defend her forever, yeah? You'll defend her until you die."

"That is correct," Link stated.

"One last question. You don't want to hear it, but I've been wondering."

"Ask me."

"What exactly is it that you owe her?"

Link paused for a very long time. When he finally answered, his voice was just above a rumble. "Everything," he answered. "But Ashei?"

"Yeah?"

"I still don't owe her _half _as much as I owe you."

And, satisfied, he leaned back into her, and she leaned hard into him, and all was quiet as they ventured far into the night, into the morning, into the unknown.

**And one room over, Rusl and Auru were spooning as well.**

**Maybe I am kidding.**

**Maybe I am not.**

**ANYWAY. Apology time. It has been... around a month and a half since my last update. Oops. I've just been really booked, you guys. **_**Really **_** booked. But school's ending soon, and hopefully I can finish this puppy up around the time of its 1-year anniversary. (June? July? We just don't know.)**

**Thanks so much to all of you that reviewed. There were a ton of you but I'd like to extend a special thank you to Norkix, who btw is really cool, so when you're finished here, you should check out his novelization of Ocarina of Time. It's good, guys. **_**Reeeeaaaal **_**good.**

**Alternatively, check out my older story **_**Flowers Don't Grow in the Desert**_**. I'm rewriting the first 3 chapters... well, I've only rewritten the first one so far, but ANYWAY. Check it out. It's way better than this stupid thing, anyway. Actually, take a gander at anything in my body of work. *Shameless self-promotion***

**OKAY THAT'S ALL. Next time there's a delay this long, feel free to send me angry PMs until I update. Which reminds me, I should probably extend another special thank-you to "guest" for being such a pain in the butt that I was actually inspired to ever start this chapter in the first place.**

**-Ctj**

**P.S. As usual, let me know your thoughts through a review! I am thankful for every single review I get from the very very bottom of my heart.**


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